@article {Glasierbmjsrh-2020-200648, author = {Anna Glasier and Paula Baraitser and Lisa McDaid and John Norrie and Andrew Radley and Judith M Stephenson and Claire Battison and Richard Gilson and Sharon Cameron and Trial Steering Committee}, editor = {, and , and Brocklehurst, Peter and Michie, Lucy and Wellings, Kaye and Loudon, Joanna and Stuart, Kirsten and Whittaker, Emily and , and Anderson, Claire and Allen, Elizabeth and Moreau, Caroline}, title = {Emergency contraception from the pharmacy 20 years on: a mystery shopper study}, elocation-id = {bmjsrh-2020-200648}, year = {2020}, doi = {10.1136/bmjsrh-2020-200648}, publisher = {British Medical Journal Publishing Group}, abstract = {Background Emergency contraception (EC) was approved in the UK as a pharmacy medicine for purchase without prescription in 2001. Twenty years later we conducted a study to characterise routine practice pharmacy provision of EC.Study design Mystery shopper study of 30 pharmacies in Edinburgh, Dundee and London participating in a clinical trial of contraception after EC.Methods Mystery shoppers, aged >=16 years, followed a standard scenario requesting EC. After the pharmacy visit, they completed a proforma recording the duration of the consultation, where it took place, and whether advice was given to them about the importance of ongoing contraception after EC.Results Fifty-five mystery shopper visits were conducted. The median reported duration of the consultation with the pharmacist was 6 (range 1{\textendash}18) min. Consultations took place in a private room in 34 cases (62\%) and at the shop counter in the remainder. In 27 cases (49\%) women received advice about ongoing contraception. Eleven women (20\%) left the pharmacy without EC due to lack of supplies or of a trained pharmacist. Most women were generally positive about the consultation.Conclusions While availability of EC from UK pharmacies has undoubtedly improved access, the necessity to have a consultation, however helpful, with a pharmacist introduces delays and around one in five of our mystery shoppers left without getting EC. Consultations in private are not always possible and little advice is given about ongoing contraception. It is time to make EC available without a pharmacy consultation.}, issn = {2515-1991}, URL = {https://srh.bmj.com/content/early/2020/07/26/bmjsrh-2020-200648}, eprint = {https://srh.bmj.com/content/early/2020/07/26/bmjsrh-2020-200648.full.pdf}, journal = {BMJ Sexual \& Reproductive Health} }