Survey reveals morning after pill demand
A survey strongly suggests that 85% of pharmacists have been asked for the medication.
The morning-after pill NorLevo became available over the counter from pharmacies throughout the country following a decision last February by the Irish Medicines Board.
The Irish Pharmacy Union (IPU) said average weekly requests, at 2.4 per pharmacy, was in line with expectations.
“It demonstrates that there is a need for this kind of service and, clearly, pharmacists are more accessible than GPs,” an IPU spokesperson said last night.
The IPU’s survey of 200 of its members, also found that the average age of those requesting the medication was 23.
While the age of those requesting the emergency contraceptive pill ranged from 16 to 40, the most common age was between 20 and 25 years.
The survey was published at the IPU national pharmacy conference in Kilkenny yesterday.
More than eight-out-of-10 pharmacists found that customers welcomed the development.
Another survey commissioned by the IPU discovered that 84% of patients approved of the provision of the medication without a prescription.
Ann-Marie Horan, a pharmacist in Terenure, Dublin, stressed the medication was for emergencies only.
“This medication will not be dispensed without a thorough consultation with the pharmacist in relation to the suitability of the patient for the medicine,” she said. “This clearly is a responsible approach to an important aspect of sexual health for women.”
The survey also reveals that people are presenting to pharmacies more frequently with stress-related symptoms compared to a year ago. Pharmacists have seen an increase in customers who have problems sleeping (75%), fatigue (66%), stomach problems (60%) as well as digestive problems (52%).
Ms Horan said she was not surprised at the increase in the number of people with stress-related symptoms.
“There are many patients out there who are under pressure in their lives for one reason or another and this manifests itself in physical symptoms,” she said.