New plan to make contraceptive pill available from chemists

The Royal Society of Medicine is at loggerheads with the Society for the Protection of Unborn Children over plans to allow pharmacists to give the Pill to girls under 16 without a prescription.

The Royal Society of Medicine is 'delighted' by the move which, it believes, will cut the 'catastrophic' number of teenage pregnancies. Health Minister, Lord Darzi, has said that chemists will not simply hand the contraceptive over the counter but will be required to carry out a simple interview first, and that the Government is committed to ensuring 'robust standards' and appropriate training for pharmacists. The Family Planning Association has also welcomed the plan.

At present, doctors can supply under-16s with the Pill on prescription. Although GPs are obliged to encourage teenagers to inform their parents, under-16s are entitled to confidential sexual health advice and treatment by law.

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