Improving access to emergency contraception

doi:10.1136/bmj.322.7280.186/a

BMJ 2001;322:186 ( 27 January )

Editorials

Improving access to emergency contraception

Allowing pharmacy sales should help reduce unwanted pregnancies

The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below.

From 1 January this year pharmacists in the United Kingdom have been able to supply progestogen-only emergency contraceptionwithout a prescription. Within the next few weeks a product containinglevonorgestrel 750 µg (Levonelle) will be widely available forpurchase by women aged 16 and over. Direct sale through pharmaciesshould make access to emergency contraception easier for manywomen, but current NHS routes of provision of emergency contraceptionwill still exist and remainimportant.

Emergency contraception is intended for use after intercourse, but before blastocyst implantation. In the United Kingdom twohormonal regimens are licensed as prescription only medicinesfor use within 72 hours of unprotected intercourse. A combinationof oestrogen and progestogen (Schering PC4, ethinylestradiol 100µg plus levonorgestrel 500 µg repeated 12 hours later) has beenavailable since 1984 and a progestogen-only regimen (Levonelle-2,levonorgestrel 750 µg repeated 12 hours later) since 1999. Althoughless effective than standard hormonal contraception used correctly,emergency contraception may be needed when . . . [Full text of this article]

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