Pill to be sold over counter (From This Is Local London)

Pill to be sold over counter

11:16am Monday 15th December 2008 in

• Skip social links
• Print
• Email
• Comments(0)

A pilot scheme allowing pharmacists to give women the contraceptive pill without a prescription will start next year.

Girls and women in Lewisham aged 16 and over will be able to buy the pill over the counter without visiting a doctor.

The aim is to reduce the borough's abortion rates which are well above the national average.

Last year there were 40 abortions for every 1,000 girls aged under-18 in Lewisham - more than double the national average of 19.8.

In fact a total of 173 pregnancies were terminated among this age group - up from 145 in 2006.

Seventeen-year-old Zorba Emelonye, of Waverley Road, Plumstead, says she thinks the scheme should be extended to Greenwich.

The borough did not fair much better than Lewisham with 38 abortions for every 1,000 girls aged under 18 last year - and a total of 152 terminations.

She said: "There is a definite problem in Lewisham and Greenwich. Lots of my friends - in fact most of my friends are either mums or have had an abortion.

"I think the scheme would definitely help as I know quite a few people who didn't want to go to the doctor because the doctor knew their mum.

"I personally would feel much more comfortable buying it over the counter as it's less embarrassing than going to the doctors."

The Plumstead Manor school student added: "I'm not too sure why it's a problem in this area. Maybe youngsters are not taught enough about sex at school or maybe it's because people can't afford contraception."

Pharmacies which will provide this service have not yet been chosen and the timescales have not been set.

But medicine management teams at the trust are currently working on the best way to train pharmacists to deal with youngsters who ask for the pill.

A spokesman for Lewisham PCT said: "We are continually looking to develop our services around patient needs.

"It has been previously identified that people on low incomes can have problems accessing health services and increasing access to healthcare is a main priority for Lewisham PCT."

He added: "The new scheme will be monitored and evaluated on whether or not it improves access to contraception for women in Lewisham."

The PCT also confirmed the pilot will only be making available a limited range of progesterone-only pills to women who fall within specified criteria to be agreed by Lewisham sexual health consultants.

Progesterone-only pills do not contain oestrogen and are less likely to cause blood-clotting and weight gain.