Pharmacists to initiate oral contraceptives so women can avoid ‘hassle’ of GP appointments, Vic Premier says
The RACGP said the move ignored the TGA's repeated safety assessments that had concluded oral contraceptives should be S4 medicines.
Victorian pharmacists will initiate the oral contraceptive pill even for patients without a previous GP script, starting from July, state Premier Jacinta Allan has announced.
But Friday’s announcement has already been lambasted by the RACGP, which quickly accused the Victorian Government of ignoring the TGA’s repeated decisions to keep contraceptive pills as S4 drugs.
Ms Allan said pharmacists would have to complete a training module before initiating pill scripts and would counsel women on alternatives, such as long-acting reversible contraception.
“Getting the pill shouldn’t be a burden for women,” she said.
