CONTRACEPTIVE coils and implants could be given out by pharmacists under new plans.
Women will also be able to get the contraceptive pill without a doctor’s appointment, under the NHS reforms.
GettyPharmacists in England are now able to provide an annual contraceptive pill check up — taking the role away from GPs[/caption]
Some pharmacists in England are now able to provide an annual contraceptive pill check up — taking the role away from GPs.
It has been rolled out as a pilot in sites across London, the North West, North East, East of England, Midlands and South East.
The move is part of the wider goal of reducing family doctors’ workloads, with experts hoping it will free up around 2million appointments a year, according to MailOnline.
From October 4, pharmacists will be given further powers to prescribe the pill for the first time, as long as the pilot is successful.
And further down the line, they will be able to monitor and manage dispensing of repeat long-acting reversible contraception (LARC), like coils and implants.
Pharmacists will later be able to “initiate” LARCs themselves, although it is not clear whether this will be limited to prescribing the devices or implanting them.
NHS insiders told The Sun the health service is still developing the plans and is in negotiations with the pharmacy sector on how to do it.
Malcolm Harrison, chief executive of the Company Chemists’ Association, told MailOnline: “The pharmacy contraception service is further recognition of the role that pharmacy can play in building capacity and resilience in primary care.
“We estimate that, with investment, 2million routine GP contraception appointments could be safely transferred into pharmacies.”
It comes after the NHS introduced plans to ensure doctors can’t fob off patients by asking them to “call back later” when asking for an appointment.
Instead, surgeries that cannot offer one will be obliged to provide people with an assessment there and then — or signpost them to an appropriate medical service.
It’s not clear what is meant by an “appropriate service”, but GP practices can already refer patients for a same-day consultation with a community pharmacist.
NHS England hopes the change will “ensure consistency in the access patients can expect”.