A resource demonstrating the valuable role community pharmacy plays in providing sexual health, reproductive health and HIV services across England has been published by Public Health England (PHE). 

PHE argues that without community pharmacy integration, recognition and involvement in sexual and reproductive health services, people in the UK would continue to experience poor levels of such services, which would have adverse effects on the nation’s sexual health.

The resource highlights various opportunities relating to sexual and reproductive health, such as chlamydia screening and treatment, unplanned pregnancies and HIV testing and urges commissioners and health professionals to take note.

It estimates that in 2017, over 13,000 chlamydia tests and 1,200 diagnoses were made in pharmacies in England amongst 15-24-year-olds. In addition, community pharmacies were the most common C-Card outlet, making up 30 per cent of the total reported C-Card venue types.