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Position
Healthy sexual relationships and personal responsibility are the two principal aims of Ontario's Sexual Health Mandatory Program, and increasing access to contraception for individuals in need to decrease unplanned pregnancy is one of its objectives. Access to methods of contraception that are proven safe and effective, whether physical or pharmaceutical, should be subject to as few barriers as possible.
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Resolution: #A05-1, Improving Access to Contraception in Ontario
This resolution calls for a change to the status of Levonorgestrel (a.k.a. Plan B or the "morning after" pill) as a Schedule 2 drug, subject to direct intervention of a pharmacist or certified dispenser. The form that is used as part of this intervention calls for personal information, including sexual history. alPHa believes that this is a significant barrier to access. Levonorgestrel has been proven safe and effective, and as such should be available as an off-schedule (over the counter) medication for sale at any retail outlet.
Status
Closed
Recent Developments
September 10, 2007
alPHa has been informed that NAPRA has received an application from the Women's Health division of Paladin Labs to move Plan B to Schedule III status, which would make it available over the counter. alPHa has sent the resolution to the Executive Director of NAPRA to support the application.
April 27 2007
Resolution closed by alPHa board of Directors
April 24 2007
alPHa’s Advocacy Committee recommends closure as both operative clauses have been satisfied. Following the requested advocacy, NAPRA has made clear its disagreement with alPHa’s position, and the CPA screening interventions in question were changed in December 2005 following a complaint by Ontario’s Privacy Commissioner
March 28, 2006
Reply received from the National Association of Pharmacy Regulatory Authorities outlining the reasons that it disagrees with alPHa's posisiton on access to Emergency Contraception. Please click here to read.
March 21, 2006
Reply received from the Ontario College of Pharmacists, outlining the current standards of practice for the dispensation of Emergency Contraception. Includes an excerpt from the general Standards of Practice (2003) and an interpretation of that document's Standard 4 (patient interaction) for the purposes of provision of EC. Please click here to read.
February 15, 2006
Letter sent to the President of the National Association of Pharmacy Regulatory Authorities and the Registrar of the Ontario College of Pharmacists introducing this resolution. Copies sent to the CMOH, the Minister of Health and Long-Term Care and the President of the Canadian Pharmacists' Association. Please click here to read.
December 8, 2005
The Ontario College of Pharmacists has agreed to advise its members to stop using a screening form that was part of the dispensing process of Levonorgestrel, following a complaint by Ontario's privacy commissioner. Please click here to read the Toronto Star article.
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