Chamber of pharmacists collaborating with UK, Irish on training courses for MAP
Secretary General for the Pharmaceutical Group of the EU Jurate Svarcaite said that the Maltese Chamber of Pharmacists have collaborated with their Irish and UK counterparts on training protocols and extensive courses with regards the administration of the Morning After Pill.
Ms Svarcaite also revealed that close to 100% of active pharmacists within the Chamber of Pharmacists have participated in these courses.
This was said during a press conference to mark a meeting with the Heads of EU Medicines Agencies, entitled ‘Defining the priorities for the future development of self-care’. Minister for Social Dialogue, Consumer Affairs and Civil Liberties Helena Dalli addressed the press conference on innovation in self-care through switches from prescription to nonprescription status. The press conference also focused on acceptance of emergency contraception as a selfcare indication.
The conference was also addressed by Professor Philippe Bouchard from France, who specialises in Endocrinology, Professor Lilian Azzopardi – President of the European Association of Faculties of Pharmacy and chief of the Medicine’s Authority Anthony Serracino Inglott.
Members of the panel expressed their pleasure with the shift in discussion of the MAP, from whether pharmacists are qualified to even administer the emergency contraception in the first place to the protocol by which pharmacists should follow when they are administering it.
Professor Serracino Inglott was especially pleased with the shift in discussion regarding the MAP, and made note of the campaign of misinformation being disseminated to the public where they spoke of its abortifacient effects and scary non-existent side effects.
When reference was made to an investigation penned by The Malta Independent which found that some pharmacists were not asking many questions or following guidelines when asked for the MAP, both Dr Dalli and Professor Azzopardi said that it takes time for a shift in culture to take effect.
It was also said that a focus on education could also go a long way to inform the public on the type of questions they should ask their local pharmacists if/when requesting the MAP. Refraining from rushing the pharmacist into making the MAP available to a customer was also stressed. This situation could take place in view of the negative stigma associated with such reproductive products, and the risk of being recognised while buying the emergency contraception.
Professor Bouchard spoke of extensive studies that have taken place for the MAP, whereby three different scenarios were tested, such as when an embryo has implanted in the womb or a scenario where a pregnant woman has accidentally taken it. He said that studies have conclusively found that the MAP cannot interrupt implantation – the point where a fertilised egg lodges itself into the uterine wall. In neither of the scenarios tested did the emergency contraception interfere with an embryo that has already implanted in the womb.
He said that, therefore, the emergency contraception was found to be extremely safe with no side effects and that it is fairly reliable, therefore its accessibility had a positive social impact.
Taking the example of France, he said that while the MAP is free and readily available, more can still be done, such as in the way the public is educated.