Girls under 16 could soon be able to get the contraceptive Pill from their chemist without a prescription.

 

Unveiling the controversial plan, Health Minister Lord Darzi said pharmacists would be given the green light to dispense the oral contraceptive after a simple interview.

The Pill is currently available only with a prescription, although most pharmacies are able to provide the "morning-after-pill" without a doctor's authorisation.

 

Trials of the controversial new regime, putting the Pill on the same footing, will begin in the New Year.

 

Lord Darzi said the Government would work with chemists to ensure "robust standards" and appropriate training.

 

But the unexpected announcement triggered protests from pro-life and family campaigners, with predictions that it could even lead to deaths.

 

There were warnings that chemists cannot carry out the same health checks as doctors do before supplying the Pill, which can cause blood clotting and thrombosis.

Campaigners also fear that youngsters would be put at greater risk of sexually-transmitted infections.

 

The Society for the Protection of Unborn Children said it would consider a legal challenge to the change.

 

But the Royal Society of Medicine welcomed the move, pointing to the "catastrophic tidal wave of teenage and unwanted pregnancies".

 

Health department officials said it was too early to say if there would be a lower age limit for the Pill. But they said it was likely pharmacists would have the same powers as GPs, who can give it to girls of any age if they think it appropriate.

 

That raises the prospect of 11 or 12-year-olds being given the Pill by a chemist without their parents knowing.

 

By law, doctors are supposed to encourage under-16s to tell their parents.

But they can prescribe the Pill without parental knowledge or consent if a youngster does not wish to involve her family.

 

Pharmacists are likely to be covered by the same rules.

 

Earlier this month, it was revealed that girls as young as 12 are being given the morningafter pill without their parents' knowledge at pharmacies authorised to do so in eight out of ten health authority areas.

 

The same system of local directives will now be applied to dispensing the contraceptive Pill.

 

Lord Darzi insisted last night that the Pill would not become widely available over the counter.

 

He said trials would involve chemists in "a full assessment process" before supplying it under arrangements "equivalent to prescribing".

 

But John Smeaton, national director of SPUC, said: "This is all part and parcel of the Government's massive attack on human life."

 

There was clear evidence that making contraception more widely available did not reduce unwanted pregnancies.

 

Tory MP Nadine Dorries, a former nurse, said: "The contraceptive Pill is known for causing blood clotting and thrombosis.

 

"Every GP assesses whether someone's going to be susceptible to that.

"A pharmacist will also not know the family history of breast cancer or the person's mental history."

 

Michaela Ashton of the charity Life said: "I am particularly concerned about the impact on young people.

 

"It will lead to many taking drugs inappropriate for their developing bodies, encourage girls to have underage sex and expose them to the risk of sexually-transmitted infections."

 

Source: Mail on Sunday

 

 

I have to say I'm really worried about this. As has been said, the pharmacists do not know the girl's medical history and the Pill can have serious side effects. It would be far better and safer for the girl to see her GP.

I have to say I'm really worried about this. As has been said, the pharmacists do not know the girl's medical history and the Pill can have serious side effects.

 

Pharmacists recommend that anyway for any medication.. People can have adverse reactions to paracetomol, penicillin, and a whole raft of medications that are freely available in chemists..

 

I'm all for this move tbh, the Morning After pill is available why not the contraceptive pill, and if its now easy availability prevents just one unwanted teen pregnancies then it would be worth it...

 

As per bleedin' usual, the Usual Suspects (Pro Lifers, Christian groups, Right Wing MPs, the Tabloid press, etc) are out there condemning this move totally out of touch with the realities that we have a teen pregnancy and teen abortion epidemic in this country and that something has to be done about it. They stopped local authorities from putting condom machines in school toilets, so this is the alternative..... -_-

I'm with Tilly on this. I had side-effects to all my pills that I've taken, so I'm having a month off mine to hopefully get back to normal, then I'm going back to the Doctor and see what she says. There is a reason they only give you 3 months supply to start with, you do need regular check ups.

I'm really not convinced this is the way to go. The problem is that there is no guarantee that the girl would take the pharmacist's advice and visit her GP. If she didn't want to see her doctor, it would be better that she visited somewhere like the BPAS (British Pregnancy Advisory Service) for contraception advice as she would at least be examined by a doctor there.

Pharmacists recommend that anyway for any medication.. People can have adverse reactions to paracetomol, penicillin, and a whole raft of medications that are freely available in chemists..

 

 

The potential side affects of the pill are slightly more serious and frequent.

High blood pressure, blood clots to name a few.

 

I am against this - not because I am "pro-life" etc. but because I am, like Tilly, concerned that young girls wont get the regular check ups and advice needed.

 

Will the chemist take their blood pressure, look into their family medical history, insist on regular check ups. Even if they do - will the girl follow advice? or will she just go to a different chemist next time?

There are MANY different pills out there - is the chemist qualified to chose the right one? Does the chemist have access to enough information to make this decision?

 

How will the chemist advise these young girls on smear tests? (regular smear tests should be had once sexually active) Again I can see a fall in these - with disasterous results!

 

There must be better ways to increase access to contraception without removing safeguards to health?

 

 

 

The potential side affects of the pill are slightly more serious and frequent.

High blood pressure, blood clots to name a few.

 

I am against this - not because I am "pro-life" etc. but because I am, like Tilly, concerned that young girls wont get the regular check ups and advice needed.

 

Will the chemist take their blood pressure, look into their family medical history, insist on regular check ups. Even if they do - will the girl follow advice? or will she just go to a different chemist next time?

There are MANY different pills out there - is the chemist qualified to chose the right one? Does the chemist have access to enough information to make this decision?

 

How will the chemist advise these young girls on smear tests? (regular smear tests should be had once sexually active) Again I can see a fall in these - with disasterous results!

 

There must be better ways to increase access to contraception without removing safeguards to health?

 

 

Okay, fair enough, those are good points. But surely once all this has been done in the first instance why the need to go back to the doctor for repeat prescriptions...? Wouldn't it be so much easier to just get it over the counter after all the relevant advice has been sought and there's no problems...? It would save both parties a lot of time to not have to trot back and forwards every month or so, it would certainly save the doctors a fair bit of time from having to continually write out repeat prescriptions for hundreds of patients....

There must be better ways to increase access to contraception without removing safeguards to health?

 

Well, some local authorities did try to put condom machines in school toilets, which surely is a more ideal solution than this is, but, as usual the "moral crusader brigade" got their ganders up about that one..... Pricks.... <_< Unless you've got some sort of allergy to rubber where the bleedin' hell are the medical problems with sticking a rubber johnny on your willie....?

 

TBH, I'm all in favour of a male contraceptive pill, I'd be more than willing to try it....

Okay, fair enough, those are good points. But surely once all this has been done in the first instance why the need to go back to the doctor for repeat prescriptions...? Wouldn't it be so much easier to just get it over the counter after all the relevant advice has been sought and there's no problems...? It would save both parties a lot of time to not have to trot back and forwards every month or so, it would certainly save the doctors a fair bit of time from having to continually write out repeat prescriptions for hundreds of patients....

It's important to see your GP every six months at least, when you're on the Pill to have a checkup, which includes blood pressure etc. The GP would actually need to see the girl in order to write out a prescription and it's very important healthwise that she does, in case any problems develop.