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The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has published new guidance on reducing teenage pregnancies through improved contraceptive services. Although under-18 conception rates have fallen in recent years, England still has one of the highest teen pregnancy rates in Europe.

The guidance advises service commissioners to ensure that all young people aged up to 25 have access to contraception and sexual health advice at convenient locations, regardless of where they live. It also recommends that pharmacists should provide information about the full range of contraceptives available, including emergency hormonal contraception (EHC) and longacting reversible contraception, as well as being able to dispense free EHC under a patient group direction (PGD).

€Pharmacists play an important role in supporting young people with a range of accessible sexual health services and advice to help prevent unplanned pregnancies within their communities,€ commented the Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS).