Services Database Emergency Hormonal Contraception (Derby City Area)

Why offer the service?
The Department of Health’s strategy for public health includes the aim of improving access to confidential, non-judgemental sexual health services, including contraception services.

• Approximately 30% of all pregnancies are unplanned and the majority of teenage pregnancies are unplanned
• Of all teenagers who conceive, around 50% lead to terminations

In general, Derbyshire has better sexual health than the population of the country as a whole, however, inequalities in sexual health outcomes persist (e.g. high teenage pregnancy rates in some areas).
What is the service designed to do?

• Enable women of all ages to access free emergency contraception from community pharmacies
• Increase the knowledge among young people of the availability of emergency contraception  and contraception
• Reduce the number of unintended conceptions within Derbyshire
• Provide immediate advice on contraception and direct women to long term mainstream contraceptive services, particularly hard to reach groups
• Increase the knowledge of risks associated with sexually transmitted infections (STIs) referring on to an appropriate service where clients may be at risk
• Raise awareness and give assurances of the confidentiality of other locally provided services (contraception, sexual health and specialist sexual health services)

To remain eligible to provide the OEC service under the terms of this agreement and maintain the standards required, pharmacists must attend a 2 hour recognised contraception update session at least once every 3 years.  The cost of this training and any time taken will not be reimbursed by DCHS. This timeframe may alter, depending on local LPC requirements.
Pharmacists could also consider completing the following optional CPPE modules to support the delivery of this service:

• Sexual health in pharmacies e-learning
• Contraception e-learning
• Chlamydia testing and treatment half-day workshop
• Sexual health all-day workshop (includes chlamydia testing and treatment service).

In addition to the CPPE DoC, pharmacists could also attend face-to-face training sessions.