Services Database Supply of Emergency Hormonal Contraception (Warrington Area)

To enable any suitable clients to be prescribed free emergency hormonal contraception (EHC) under a Patient Group Direction (PGD).

This service covers the following:

• 1:1 consultation - All females requesting the purchase of EHC will be referred to the competent pharmacist for a consultation. Assessment of the need and suitability for a client to receive EHC, in line with the PGD must be undertaken by an accredited pharmacist;
• Provision of EHC - Where appropriate EHC will be supplied (either levonorgestrel or ulipristal), where a supply of EHC is not appropriate, advice, provision of information and referral to another source of assistance will be provided;
• For each consultation the pharmacist must complete the consultation pro-forma in discussion with the client in real time;
• Verbal and written advice on the avoidance of STIs and the use of regular contraceptive methods, safer sex and the use of condoms;
• Onward signposting to family planning services and services for diagnosis and treatment of STIs;
• Clients aged 15 to 24 should be advised of the rise in chlamydia infection and advised to have a chlamydia test on an annual basis or whenever they change their partner. These clients should be given the Warrington ‘chlamydia your ready to go ‘package which contains two condoms and information on how to access services for testing and treatment;
• Appropriate health promotion material and three free condoms (provided by Public Health) must be available to those accessing the service and actively promote uptake and is able to discuss the contents of the material with the client, where appropriate;
• Pharmacists will link into existing networks for community contraceptive services so that women who need to see a doctor can be referred on rapidly; and
• Provision of a pregnancy test - if there is the possibility that the client may be pregnant from a previous instance of unprotected intercourse then the supply of EHC cannot be made until pregnancy is ruled out. Performance of a pregnancy test is to be undertaken as outlined in the PGD.

The service provider has a responsibility to ensure that all staff provide the service strictly in accordance with the service specification. This will include the provision of Levonorgestrel and Ulipristal Acetate as defined in the Patient Group Direction (PGD) by Pharmacists that have satisfied the requirements of Self Declaration of Competence for Community Pharmacy for Emergency Contraception.

 NICE Competency framework: The Pharmacist should have achieved the competency levels specified in the NICE Competency Framework for Health Professionals using Patient Group Directions https://www.nice.org.uk/mpc/goodpracticeguidance/GPG2.jsp

 Warrington Borough Council requires evidence of successful completion of:

• an accredited Safeguarding Children open learning programme; and
• a Declaration of Competence in Emergency Hormonal Contraception.

  All community pharmacists providing an EHC service for Warrington Borough council must also have signed and returned a copy of the latest version of the PGDs before providing the service.