Feb 26, 2025

Should pharmacists be able to provide the pill over the counter without a script?

Should pharmacists be able to provide the pill over the counter without a script?
A new national trial could see pharmacists supplying the pill over the counter—no GP visit needed. [iStock].

As we head towards a federal election, the Labor government recently announced a funding package worth A$573 million for women’s health.

The funding includes $100 million to support two national trials for pharmacies to provide the oral contraceptive pill and treatments for uncomplicated urinary tract infections over the counter.

The question of whether or not pharmacists should be able to provide the oral contraceptive pill without a prescription from a GP has long been a topic of debate.

We asked five experts for their thoughts. Should pharmacists be able to provide the pill over the counter without a script?

Four out of five said yes. Here are their detailed responses.

The Conversation

Phoebe Roth, Health Editor, The Conversation

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

  1. If a Woman is already on the contraceptive pill then I suppose it would be ok as long as the Woman’s health is fine!

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

Not enough aged care workers – how will Australia cope while borders are still closed?

The government has promised to mandate the number of direct care hours delivered in residential aged care by 2023, but with international borders closed, some are questioning how Australian providers will be able to recruit enough skilled staff to achieve the targets. Read More

Ketamine Trial Shows Potential for Treating Severe Depression in Older People

Depression is a debilitating condition than can affect every aspect of a person’s life. It’s characterised by depressed mood or a loss of interest in activities, causing significant impairment in daily activities. Many older people struggle with depression, and one of the challenges is that many do not receive the help and support they need.... Read More

Minister “personally committed” to changing aged care funding

  The Aged Care Minister has stated he is “personally committed” to a new model of aged care funding if the LNP government is returned this year. The Resource Utilisation and Classification Study (RUCS) is a new model of aged care funding being developed by the Australian Health Services Research Institute, which is part of... Read More
Advertisement