Liberalising " the Pill " !

How strange that people who suffer from a runny nose and weeping eyes caused by pollen in the air can walk into a pharmacy and choose from a wide array of medication without the need to consult a  doctor. In many cases they ask the advice of the pharmacist because they want to avoid side effects such as drowsiness.

Just such a choice is not available for the contraceptive pill that Australian women use to prevent unwanted pregnancies. Even when they are using this contraceptive long term, they need to make an appointment with a general practitioner to obtain a prescription repeat.  That situation seems peculiar to Australia.  In the US, UK, Canada and New Zealand the contraceptive pill is available over the counter without the need to see a doctor.

The medical profession has a strong lobby and they are steadfastly opposed to any easing of the law that protects their franchise.  They argue that the need to consult a doctor to renew prescriptions has the benefit of that consultation discovering hidden health conditions.  This ignores the reality that there is often a long wait to get an appointment with a doctor and in some country towns it requires out of area travel.

That contraceptive pill has caused many newspaper headlines since its arrival on the health scene in the early 1960's.  It contravened the teachings of the Roman Catholic Church and at that early stage supply was refused by some Catholic doctors and chemists.  Then there was the moral issue of teenage girls obtaining supply without their parents permission.

In that 1960's era the condom was restricted to a chemists only supplied pharmaceutical that could not be displayed or advertised.   It was an " under the counter " item that had to be specifically asked for and many chemists chose not to stock them on moral grounds.   How different today, when they are openly displayed and sold in supermarkets and in dispensers in many places of entertainment.

It could be argued that this prescription requirement for the pill is another shackle on the ability of women to manage their reproductive health.  The male sheath is readily available, but the supply of female protection is entangled in protocol that not only costs money but also introduces a delay factor.  At best, a woman can obtain a four month supply with three repeats which then requires a doctor consultation for renewal.  That delivers a year by year ordeal.

The Pharmacy Guild is calling for chemists to have the right to prescribe the pill and this is covered by state legislation.  This will go on the agenda at the next Council of Australian Government ( COAG ) Meeting but NSW is showing little interest in creating change.   In the world of politics, the medical profession is adept at protecting its turf  !