Introduction

On the face of it, the premise of contraception is simple: preventing an unwanted pregnancy. However, with more than a dozen options available, the choice can seem overwhelming. High up on many patients’ lists for consideration is “the pill”, the generic term for oral contraceptives. 

There are many factors to take into consideration which the contraception user may not have identified. This is where the knowledge and skills of health professionals come to the fore. 

The aim should be to enable patients to make an informed decision about what they feel suits them best, as this increases the likelihood of them using the contraceptive correctly and consistently, which in turn will lead to a rise in effectiveness.

With this in mind, and against a backdrop of the likely expansion of pharmacy services in this clinical area, this CPD module provides an update on the use of COCs and the information users would find most helpful. 

Combined oral contraception

The ongoing supply of combined oral contraceptives currently falls under Tier 1 of England’s NHS Pharmacy Contraception Service. At the time of writing, initiation of COCs by pharmacists is currently only allowed in a very small number of locations participating in the Tier 2 pilot of this service, although – subject to a successful evaluation – a wider rollout is planned for the near future. 

Provision of the progesterone-only pill (POP) is also allowed under this service, as well as more widely through sales of the recently switched OTC product and, for example, under the NHS Scotland Bridging Contraception scheme.