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

Survery by the Irish Pharmacy Union says that 85 per cent of pharmacists polled have been asked for the drug since mid-February.

By Susan Ryan Saturday 7 May 2011, 4:12 PM

May 7th 2011, 4:12 PM 1,179 Views No Comments

http://jrnl.ie/132823

File photo of unidentified medicines.

Image: e-MagineArt.com via Creative Commons

File photo of unidentified medicines.

Image: e-MagineArt.com via Creative Commons

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.

Short URL

About the author:

About the author

Susan Ryan

@SusanSRyan

susanryan@thejournal.ie

See more articles by Susan Ryan

Contribute to this story:

Send a Correction

COMMENTS

∞

About Us

Corrections

Report Content

Policies

TheJournal.ie supports the work of the Press Council of Ireland and the Office of the Press Ombudsman, and our staff operate within the Code of Practice. You can obtain a copy of the Code, or contact the Council, at www.presscouncil.ie, PH: (01) 6489130, Lo-Call 1890 208 080 or email: info@presscouncil.ie

Please note that TheJournal.ie uses cookies to improve your experience and to provide services and advertising. For more information on cookies please refer to our cookies policy.

News images provided by Press Association and Photocall Ireland unless otherwise stated. Irish sport images provided by Inpho Photography unless otherwise stated. Wire service provided by Associated Press.

Journal Media does not control and is not responsible for user created content, posts, comments, submissions or preferences. Users are reminded that they are fully responsible for their own created content and their own posts, comments and submissions and fully and effectively warrant and indemnify Journal Media in relation to such content and their ability to make such content, posts, comments and submissions available. Journal Media does not control and is not responsible for the content of external websites.

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