PHARMACISTS will continue to play a critical role in emergency contraception from 01 Feb 2017, when the ulipristal acetate pill will become available as a Schedule 3 (Pharmacist Only) medicine.
According to Dr Deborah Bateson from Family Planning NSW, unplanned pregnancy is a reality for many Australian women, with around 200,000 unplanned pregnancies and 80,000 abortions occurring here each year.
"Emergency contraception (EC) is an important option for preventing unplanned pregnancy, when contraception hasn't been used...or a potential contraceptive failure has occurred such as a broken condom or a missed pill," Bateson said.
She said the re-scheduling of ulipristal acetate reinforces the importance of pharmacy provision of emergency contraception.
Pharmacists will now need to consider whether ulipristal acetate or levonorgestrel may be most appropriate for their clients.
Key considerations include speed of administration, drug interactions such as those with liver enzyme (CYP3A4) inducing medications & hormonal contraception, and knowing the efficacy differences, with ulipristal acetate showing lower rates of risk of pregnancy than levonorgestrel.
Ulipristal acetate is contraindicated for women who are breastfeeding, and pharmacists are urged to advise a pregnancy test if the patients' next period is late, light or unusual in any way.
Bateson highlighted a range of resources for pharmacists on EC including at fpnsw.org.au.
The above article was sent to subscribers in Pharmacy Daily's issue from 31 Jan 17
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