The Pharmaceutical Journal
Vol 279 No 7478 p552
17 November 2007

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Peeress wants oral contraceptives to have P-medicine status

Questions are to be asked in the House of Lords about making oral contraception available without prescription from community pharmacies.

Baroness Finlay of Llandaff told The Journal this week: “We have a high teenage pregnancy rate and a high abortion rate linked to unwanted teenage pregnancies. Whatever we’re doing at the moment in terms of contraception for youngsters isn’t working. I want to make advice and contraception much more available.”

Baroness Finlay said that she wanted pharmacies to be able to sell oral contraceptives over the counter.

She added that pharmacists would also be able to steer young women towards family planning clinics if they thought that an intra-uterine device was more appropriate.

The peeress was in no doubt that pharmacists were just as capable of assessing a young woman’s thrombosis risk as GPs or family planning clinic staff, because this was done by asking them about their family history.

As well as asking questions in the House of Lords, Baroness Finlay intends to discuss the matter with the relevant health minister and hopes that it will be referred to the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency for consideration.

David Pruce, director of practice and quality improvement at the Royal Pharmaceutical Society, said: “The Society, in principle, supports the proposal to reclassify oral contraceptives from prescription-only to pharmacy- medicine status.

“Pharmacists are experts in medicines and have a track record of supplying medicines such as emergency hormonal oral contraception over the counter and via patient group directions. As such, they already have clinical skills and expertise that will help them provide information and advice to women to ensure the appropriate use of oral contraception.

“Reclassification of oral contraception would widen and improve patient choice, access and convenience. Regarding the necessary health checks, such as blood pressure testing and healthy lifestyle checks, these are already a part of the pharmacist’s extended role.”

A conference to discuss possible reclassification of oral contraceptives was held by the MHRA this year (PJ, 10 February 2007, p153).