PRESS RELEASE 30 JAN 2024
The UK’s leading sexual and reproductive healthcare body have published a statement calling for the reclassification of oral emergency contraception from a Pharmacy (P) medicine to General Sales List (GSL). This would enable oral emergency contraception to be purchased from general retail outlets, from supermarkets to petrol stations, removing barriers and improving access for all
Representing 14,000 healthcare professionals the Faculty of Sexual and Reproductive Healthcare (FSRH) supports universal provision of free, accessible oral emergency contraception across the UK, without fear of harassment or stigma.
The position was recently passed by the Council of the FSRH and has been officially endorsed by eight leading organisations in the sector, The Faculty of Pharmaceutical Medicine (FPM), The Faculty of Public Health (FPH), The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG), The Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP), MSI Reproductive Choices, the British Pregnancy Advisory Service (BPAS), the National Unplanned Pregnancy Advisory Service (NUPAS) and Brook.
Dr Janet Barter, President of the Faculty of Sexual & Reproductive Healthcare said:
“Access to contraception is such a basic human right and it is high time we begin to remove the barriers people face accessing oral emergency contraception. We want to make oral emergency contraception free and easily accessible to everyone who needs it, at a time and place that suits them, be that in a supermarket or their local sexual health clinic.
“It is so important that people can take full control of their own contraceptive needs. We believe that the reclassification of oral emergency contraception from a pharmacy medicine to general sales list would be an enormous step forward, giving people autonomy and empowering them to make the right decision for themselves. The next important step in the process to improve access to oral emergency contraception would be to make it free for everyone.
“Currently oral emergency contraception is available in pharmacies after a mandatory consultation with a pharmacist. This consultation can be very valuable, but the requirement does pose a barrier for some people, particularly on evenings, Sundays or national holidays when most pharmacies are shut. At the end of the day, oral emergency contraception is a very safe medication. However, it must be taken within a window of 3-5 days, and the sooner it is taken the more effective it is. It really is of utmost importance that people can pick it up as soon as possible.”
Read the full Faculty of Sexual and Reproductive Healthcare (FSRH) Press release >>
Associate Professor Magdalena Simonis AM is the Immediate Past President of the AFMW (2020-2023), former President of VMWS (2013 & 2017-2020) and current AFMW National Coordinator (2024-2026). She is a full time clinician who also holds positions on several not for profit organisations, driven by her passion for bridging gaps across the health sector. She is a leading women’s health expert, keynote speaker, climate change and gender equity advocate and government advisor. Magda is member of The Australian Health Team contributing monthly articles.
Magdalena was awarded a lifetime membership of the RACGP for her contributions which include past chair of Women in General Practice, longstanding contribution to the RACGP Expert Committee Quality Care, the RACGP eHealth Expert Committee. She is regularly invited to comment on primary care research though mainstream and medical media and contributes articles on various health issues through newsGP and other publications.
Magdalena has represented the RACGP at senate enquiries and has worked on several National Health Framework reviews. She is author of the RACGP Guide on Female Genital Cosmetic Surgery and co-reviewer of the RACGP Red Book Women’s Health Chapter, and reviewer of the RACGP White book
Both an RACGP examiner and University examiner, she undertakes general practice research and is a GP Educator with the Safer Families Centre of Research Excellence, which develops education tools to assist the primary care sector identify, respond to and manage family violence . Roles outside of RACGP include the Strategy and Policy Committee for Breast Cancer Network Australia, Board Director of the Melbourne University Teaching Health Clinics and the elected GP representative to the AMA Federal Council. In 2022. she was award the AMA (Vic) Patrick Pritzwald-Steggman Award 2022, which celebrates a doctor who has made an exceptional contribution to the wellbeing of their colleagues and the community and was listed as Women’s Agenda 2022 finalist for Emerging Leader in Health.
Magdalena has presented at the United Nations as part of the Australian Assembly and was appointed the Australian representative to the World Health Organisation, World Assembly on COVID 19, by the Medical Women’s International Association (MWIA) in 2021. In 2023, A/Professor Simonis was included on the King’s COVID-19 Champion’s list and was also awarded a Member (AM) in the General Division for significant service to medicine through a range of roles and to women’s health.
