Burden lifted on pill access
A MOVE to allow women to access one packet of their contraceptive pill without a prescription will relieve some of the heavy “burden” women carry, a Townsville doctor has said.
Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk announced the move yesterday on International Women’s Day following a successful trial in 2019.
James Cook University obstetrics and gynaecology Professor Ajay Rane said internationally women carried 90 per cent of the responsibility for contraception.
“It’s a basic human right for every woman to have access to safe contraception,” he said.
“(In this situation) it is not as if the pill is being prescribed over the counter, it is already a prescribed medication by a registered Australian doctor who has screened this lady’s suitability for the pill.”
Ms Palaszczuk announced the change would allow women who could not access a doctor’s appointment to purchase her pill from a pharmacist without a script.
“There are situations where a woman can’t get an appointment with their doctor or can’t make one.
“It will also mean we’re freeing up GP waiting rooms, so women are not necessarily burdened with the extra cost or time to just fill a script.”
Prof Rane said women were extremely busy and spent a lot of time juggling multiple roles.
“They could be time poor and may forget the pill packet’s coming to an end and maybe there is no time to go to the doctor to get another prescription,” he said.
“These things happen and the worst thing that could happen in such a situation is an unwanted pregnancy.”
In this circumstance, Prof Rane said a one-off chance to get a prescribed pill over the counter was a positive.
However, he said it was important for women to see their doctors regularly in case their situation changed and the pill was no longer suitable for them.
The Premier also announced the State Government would ask the Federal Government to down-schedule the pill so that pharmacists could supply it more regularly.