Emergency oral contraception is expected to be made available over the counter in New Zealand from July this year despite lack of support from doctors and opposition from the pharmaceutical industry. The ministry of health has said that the emergency contraceptive pill should be made more accessible as soon as appropriate labelling and packaging is manufactured. The Royal New Zealand College of General Practitioners stated that the move could reduce abortions and unwanted pregnancies but argued that the best place for women to obtain emergency contraception was from their general practitioners.

“We have concerns that in a pharmacy …