ACCORDING TO A SURVERY conducted by the Irish Pharmacy Union (IPU), 85 per cent of pharmacists say they have been asked for the morning after pill since it became an over-the-counter drug in mid-February 2011.

That represents more than two requests for the drug a week.

The average age of those buying the emergency contraception is 23 years, the Examiner reports, while the age of patients who requested the drug ranged from 16 years to 40, according to RTÉ.

The IPU had joined calls for the drug to be made available without prescription last year, saying that pharmacists have “the skills and competencies to dispense hormonal contraceptives and provide appropriate advice and counselling to such patients”. The Irish Medicines Boards gave its approval for one particular brand of the drug to be made available without prescription from 16 February 2011.

Two hundred pharmacies participated in the survey.

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Average age of women requesting morning after pill is 23 years - survey

Making a difference

A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation.