Boots to offer morning after pill without prescription - thoughts

daenerysstormborn3

http://breakingnews.ie/ireland/boots-to-offer-morning-after-pill-without-prescription-488778.html

According to the above link Boots are going to start offering the morning after pill from Wednesday. I think this is excellent news.

What does everyone think?

Chuchoter

I think its great as long as they keep some kind of consultation with a professional.

convert

Like crayola, I think it's a great step forward, so long as there is some kind of consultation with a pharmacist or other professional who can give advice, etc. I know it's Ireland and nothing works the way it should here, but if it can be successfully done in other countries there's no reason why it shouldn't be done here, too.

No doubt there'll be lots of controversy over this. Maybe I should take out the popcorn and listen to Liveline tmr!

Morgase

crayolastereo wrote: »

I think its great as long as they keep some kind of consultation with a professional.

The article does say "The morning-after pill will be provided after consultation with the pharmacist in a private consultation room."

I agree, it is indeed excellent news.

panda100

Excellent news!Well done Boots

daenerysstormborn3

Yep, as Morgase said, the article does say there will be a consultation in a private consultation room.

I think it's brilliant and such a step forward.

Gauge

Absolutely delighted, this is fantastic news. Anticipating some controversy and outrage though.

Stench Blossoms

Oh I can already feel the outrage from the Joe Duffy callers about this tomorrow.

neveah

Great news, I wonder how long it will be before the rest of the pharmacies in Ireland will make it available as well?

panda100

I wonder if there is any legal implications to this decision? If not, why on earth didn't a pharmacy start doing this sooner?

whatsamsn

Does that mean things are one step closer to getting the regular contraceptive pill without prescription?

Stench Blossoms

Stench Blossoms wrote: »

Oh I can already feel the outrage from the Joe Duffy callers about this tomorrow.

F*ck them. Let Joe Duffy's listeners bitch and moan and complain, this is wonderful news.

As I said in the thread in AH -

Finally!

It's absolutely ridiculous that you have to go to a doctor to get it. In England Superdrug and some other chemists have a program in which you can get the morning-after pill for free if you fill out some forms, with the max amount being in or around £30. Over here? Close to €100 when you take into account that the GP visit alone is €60.

daenerysstormborn3

Apologies, didn't realise there was a thread on this already. Mods please merge if you like.

pikachucheeks

I think it's a positive step in removing part of the "shame" some people feel surrounding sex in this country.

I wonder if there'll be an age restriction on buying it? Didn't mention that in the article. I assume people will have to be seventeen or over, to coincide with Irish legislation?

Maple

pixiebean22 wrote: »

Apologies, didn't realise there was a thread on this already. Mods please merge if you like.

Two threads on two different forums so it's ok.

candy19

Was delighted when I heard this news, the only thing is: How much is it going to cost?? There has to be a sting in the tail somewhere!!

pikachucheeks

pikachucheeks wrote: »

I think it's a positive step in removing part of the "shame" some people feel surrounding sex in this country.

I wonder if there'll be an age restriction on buying it? Didn't mention that in the article. I assume people will have to be seventeen or over, to coincide with Irish legislation?

I think you're right. If I remember correctly, in England the minimum age is 16, so it's likely to be 17 here. If the guy goes in to get the pill, they will ask the girl that needs it to be there also, as I found out, so I'm assuming it's going to be there same here as well.

Ectoplasm

About bloody time. A friend of mine had to get this once...all she got was two minutes with the doctor where he wrote a prescription and gave her a leaflet with information about possible side affects and told her to come back if she had any. €50 for that. :rolleyes:

daenerysstormborn3

pikachucheeks wrote: »

I think it's a positive step in removing part of the "shame" some people feel surrounding sex in this country.

I wonder if there'll be an age restriction on buying it? Didn't mention that in the article. I assume people will have to be seventeen or over, to coincide with Irish legislation?

That's a good point. I just read the article and thought "excellent", didn't even think of age restriction. I'm sure that will be clarified over the next two days.

daenerysstormborn3

candy19 wrote: »

Was delighted when I heard this news, the only thing is: How much is it going to cost?? There has to be a sting in the tail somewhere!!

It's 40euro or so at the moment I think so hopefully they won't up the price by much, as I assume they'll use this as an excuse to increase the cost.

Stench Blossoms

There'd have to be some sort of age restriction.

I just hope it doesn't encourage the young 'un's to use this as a common contraceptive.

candy19

pixiebean22 wrote: »

It's 40euro or so at the moment I think so hopefully they won't up the price by much, as I assume they'll use this as an excuse to increase the cost.

Is that the wholesale price?? Or the price to the consumer? As good as it is to have it available...how will a low income person manage to pay?

Stheno

Has the prescription only status of the MAP been changed to allow this?

montane

http://www.rte.ie/news/2011/0110/pill.html

The Irish College of GP's have concerns that they do losing out on one of their nice little weekend earners.
No wonder progress is so difficult in this country .

daenerysstormborn3

candy19 wrote: »

Is that the wholesale price?? Or the price to the consumer? As good as it is to have it available...how will a low income person manage to pay?

That's the price to the consumer.

panda100

EMF2010 wrote: »

About bloody time. A friend of mine had to get this once...all she got was two minutes with the doctor where he wrote a prescription and gave her a leaflet with information about possible side affects and told her to come back if she had any. €50 for that. :rolleyes:

And personally I could never bring myself to tell the doctor we just didn't bother using a condom for fear of the big lecture on safe sex.So I always just used to lie and say the condom burst.

I can't see the prices going up hugely,Its about €13 at the moment right?
Edit: I can't remember paying €40 for the MAP,but it has been a while since I used it. Woah thats steep.

pow wow

Stench Blossoms wrote: »

There'd have to be some sort of age restriction.

Interesting point. The age limit is 16 in the UK for otc purchases in pharmacies. Where a doctor or nurse is involved there's no specific age requirement, though I know there have been some high-profile stories about 13 year olds and the like being given it.

Edgedinblue

what a brilliant idea!! as far as i remember a few years ago it was €14 at most.

rainbow kirby

Fantastic idea, glad to see Boots finally introducing this.

terlywerly

Really glad to hear this coming in finally. Hopefully, as other posters have said, they won't put the price up to some crazy amount or anything. There should be an age limit imho though just like England. I do hope though that it won't just be used as a form of contraceptive, as Stench Blossoms has said. But its great that the service will be available. I can only imagine what its like to have to go to the doctor and pay for that for a 2 minute consultation and then have to go pay for the MAP. At least this way its easier, and I would hope most people would use the service for emergencies only!

What they should do is adopt a similar style in America, where they give proper sexual education and free condoms out to school. Young 'uns are going to be having sex regardless, so at least you can make sure they're being safe.

Bull76

From a man's point of view I think it's about time and should have been done a long time ago.
Every woman of the consenting age should be able to get this and not have to worry about paying 50E to a doctor only to get a lecture.

annieire

This would be much welcomed! About time too in my opinion!

panda100

panda100 wrote: »

And personally I could never bring myself to tell the doctor we just didn't bother using a condom for fear of the big lecture on safe sex.So I always just used to lie and say the condom burst.

o.O


Anyway as I said in AH this is great news!

GPs can sod off

Madame Razz

Most welcome!!! Well done Boots!!!

TheNewMee

Deleted User wrote: »

What they should do is adopt a similar style in America, where they give proper sexual education and free condoms out to school. Young 'uns are going to be having sex regardless, so at least you can make sure they're being safe.

I'm really not sure you should be taking the US as the shining beacon on how to do proper sex ed...

serenacat

I'd worry that the morning after could be used as a form of b/c on a positive note if is bound to reduce abortion rates to some degree, is there an age limit of 16 on this still?

Fluorescence

I think it's great, and a long time coming, but I also hate to think of the amount of people who'll think that it's another reason not to use contraceptives... Just because it's available, doesn't mean it's something that should be used regularly or in place of "proper" contraception.

AnnyHallsal

Thank God, at last. Having been through the rather traumatic MAP process with a few friends this is excellent news.

Maple

fluorescence wrote: »

I think it's great, and a long time coming, but I also hate to think of the amount of people who'll think that it's another reason not to use contraceptives... Just because it's available, doesn't mean it's something that should be used regularly or in place of "proper" contraception.

This.

Great move by Boots, but good sexual health practises should be maintained not only to prevent pregnancy but also STIs.

Jenneke87

Great stuff. This has been done in NL here for years and it's working out fine here. I remember that I once had to get a MAP in Ireland and I had to pay 60E for a GP visit first and then another 26E for the pill itself and thought it was outrageous. I can even imagine that if you are really strapped for cash you may decide to take your chances and find out the hard way if you were lucky or not.

Fluorescence

maple wrote: »

This.

Great move by Boots, but good sexual health practises should be maintained not only to prevent pregnancy but also STIs.

This is the main thing. Proper programs need to be put together in schools to teach people about this sort of thing. I know when we got out "sex ed" talk in first year (2003), it was basically just a repetition of the talk we had in primary school - all about periods and not to flush santry towels down the toilet :rolleyes:. If people believe pregnancy is the worst thing that can happen from unprotected sex, or that a girl being on the pill is enough, then we have some serious problems.

psycho-hope

I think its a great idea, only thing that would put me off is most boots pharmacies i have been in seem to have male pharmacists, yes I know there professonials, god knows my boss is a man, but would just feel weird talkin bout that kinda stuff with a male pharmacist, was odd enough talking to a male doctor about the implanon( just me being weird i know)

The other thing that would concern me is there doesnt seem to be anything stopping someone from going to a different boots every few weeks to get the MAP. I'm hoping that boots will have some kind of system in place that will flag up if someone is gettin it semi-regularly and have some way of dealing with this.

AnnyHallsal

psycho-hope wrote: »

The other thing that would concern me is there doesnt seem to be anything stopping someone from going to a different boots every few weeks to get the MAP. I'm hoping that boots will have some kind of system in place that will flag up if someone is gettin it semi-regularly and have some way of dealing with this.

While I don't deny this could be an issue, I doubt it will be. I personally don't know anyone who's had to use it more than once and while I lived in England never heard of it being used regularly. Its still more expensive than regular contraceptives, more inconvenient, and given the physical side-effects, I think it will be mostly used as intended - for emergencies.

I think enough women get sick enough from it they wouldn't be taking it too often

Xiney

Fantastic news.

I remember considering whether I should attempt to get a course of MAP up north to have handy for living in the republic just in case... I thought I might be better off having it available rather than needing to jump through hoops to get it.

How Strange

It's about bloody time! The onky thing the medical profession are worried about is losing their cash cow. I got it a few times over the years and mist times the doc has cut up packets of the contraceptive pill, gives you some of them and anti-nausea tablets and sends you on your way. I don't recall having any specialised tests etc done to make sure I wouldn't have an adverse reaction so I don't see why a pharmacist can't dispense it. It just breaks the cartel that exists and let's hope it's the start of many changes.

metrovelvet

bluewolf wrote: »

I think enough women get sick enough from it they wouldn't be taking it too often

That and its 45 Euro.

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/breaking/2011/0110/breaking45.html

Nevyn

Boots will want details, name and address and if the person has a boots card it can be connected to them that way and as all the Boots dispensing chemists are on the one comuputer network it will be easy for them to trace/track anyone who is abusing it.

PrincessLola

Great news
But everyone needs to calm down, it is not going to replace regular contraception; it costs nearly 50euro ffs.

psycho-hope

Thaedydal wrote: »

Boots will want details, name and address and if the person has a boots card it can be connected to them that way and as all the Boots dispensing chemists are on the one comuputer network it will be easy for them to trace/track anyone who is abusing it.

ah fair enough didnt realise that boots had all there computers connected