Free Morning After Pill?

[admin]

I've been on a course (yes me!) so I can "prescribe" free of charge the morning after pill for any woman who qualifies for it. I'm not against it on religious grounds or anything like that, but it's got me thinking that giving it to people free is not a good idea. My concerns are: -

1. If you have to pay over £20 for it, you might think about using contraception the next time to save your money.

2. Will young men "push" young women into having sex as they can just say "it's ok, you can get the morning after pill free from the pharmacy in the morning".

3. Will women who have occasional sexual partners use this as contraception instead of using proper regular contraception.

4. Will women lie and say they have never had it, when they got it from another pharmacy last month.

Does anyone else have such concerns? If so how do you get around them?

Thanks

[Pharmanaut]

Re: Free Morning After Pill?

I've been on a course (yes me!) so I can "prescribe" free of charge the morning after pill for any woman who qualifies for it. I'm not against it on religious grounds or anything like that, but it's got me thinking that giving it to people free is not a good idea. My concerns are: -

1. If you have to pay over £20 for it, you might think about using contraception the next time to save your money.

2. Will young men "push" young women into having sex as they can just say "it's ok, you can get the morning after pill free from the pharmacy in the morning".

3. Will women who have occasional sexual partners use this as contraception instead of using proper regular contraception.

4. Will women lie and say they have never had it, when they got it from another pharmacy last month.

Does anyone else have such concerns? If so how do you get around them?

Thanks

Everything has unintended consequences, and EHC probably more than most.
Would asthma control improve if you could walk in and get a free Salbutamol Inhaler when you needed one?
If you make things available what is perceived to be a 'shop' people expect unrestricted access to them.

[Web Ferret]

Re: Free Morning After Pill?

If 99% of people got free prescriptions would they just get want they wanted, then not bother about taking it and just leave it to pile up every month. If 99% of people had free scripts then that would devalue medicines and their associated supplier...

[Zoggite]

Re: Free Morning After Pill?

If 99% of people got free prescriptions would they just get want they wanted, then not bother about taking it and just leave it to pile up every month. If 99% of people had free scripts then that would devalue medicines and their associated supplier...

Well, we should soon find out as in Wales since april 1st 2007 100% of people have free scripts!
I haven't experienced any increase in script volumes or requests for scripts for stuff that patients could have bought themselves OTC; Nor do I feel that medicine and their associated supplier have been devalued. I think it was worse when people had to pay for their scripts: having to open their wallets made them believe that they were "entitled" to demand a certain brand rather than another, for example; or that they were "entitled" to expect 3 months' supply...
But back to your questions about EHC.

Why should women need to tell you whether they've used EHC last month- does your protocol require you too ask them this? ours only requires me to ask if they've already used EHC in the present cycle...
As for concerns about it becoming a "default" means of contraception: we can only do our best and explain the risks of STDs, hoping to push "casual" partners in the direction of condoms...

[admin]

Re: Free Morning After Pill?

Why should women need to tell you whether they've used EHC last month- does your protocol require you too ask them this? ours only requires me to ask if they've already used EHC in the present cycle...
As for concerns about it becoming a "default" means of contraception: we can only do our best and explain the risks of STDs, hoping to push "casual" partners in the direction of condoms...

Sorry, last month really meant like last week, so this cycle - the same in other words!

I think you're probably right Zo, we can only do our best on this. I've done the course, and it's another service I can now offer so I'll think I'll probably do it.

I see your point web ferret, but I often work at places where 99% of the customers get free scripts anyway. You are correct to a point though, as we often get sack fulls of unopened stuff brought back when they change medication or pass away.

Thanks for everyone who gave an opinion on this.