Introduction & module overview

On the face of it, the premise of contraception is simple: preventing an unwanted pregnancy. However, with more than a dozen options available, the choice can seem overwhelming. High on many patients’ list of priorities is the pill, the generic term for oral contraceptives.

There are many factors to take into consideration – which the contraception user may not have identified, let alone assessed – before settling on a particular option. This is where the knowledge and skills of health professionals come to the fore.

The Faculty of Sexual and Reproductive Healthcare (FSRH) states that “health professionals who give advice about contraception should be competent to give information about the efficacy, risks and side-effects, advantages and disadvantages, and non-contraceptive benefits of all available methods”.

The aim should be to enable patients to make an informed decision about what they feel suits them best, as this increases the likelihood of them using contraception correctly and consistently, which in turn means a rise in its effectiveness.

With this in mind, and against a backdrop of expanding pharmacy services in this clinical area, this CPD module looks at the assessment criteria and common factors that can influence contraceptive choice, as well as additional considerations for combined oral contraceptive supply.

Combined oral contraception

The ongoing pharmacy supply of combined oral contraceptives currently falls under tier 1 of England’s NHS Pharmacy Contraception Service.

At present, the initiation of COCs by pharmacists is currently only allowed in a small number of locations participating in the tier 2 pilot of this service, although – subject to a successful evaluation – a wider roll-out is planned for the near future. (It should be noted that, at the time of writing, pharmacies are not offering the new contraception service until the funding situation improves.)

Provision of the progestogen-only pill (POP) is also allowed under this service, as well as more widely (e.g. the NHS Scotland Bridging Contraception scheme and via OTC sale).

This has been covered in detail elsewhere by Pharmacy Magazine, so the information will not be duplicated here.