- RAG rating
- n/a
- Document type
- Primary Care prescribing resource
- Place
- Hertfordshire and West Essex ICB
- Output type
- Pharmacy / Prescribing
Oral contraceptive formulary recommendations
Local oral contraceptive formulary
recommendations for community pharmacists providing the Pharmacy Contraception
Service (PCS)
Background and rationale:
·
The PCS
(commissioned by the NHS as an Advanced service) started on 24th April 2023,
allowing the on-going supply of oral contraception (OC) from community
pharmacies. From 1st December 2023, the service included both initiation and
on-going supply of OC.
·
The PCS supports the important role community
pharmacy teams can play to help address health inequalities by providing wider
healthcare access in their communities and signposting service users to local
sexual health services in line with NICE guideline NG 102.
·
As per
the Community Pharmacy advanced service
specification for the NHS
Pharmacy Contraception Service, to help protect NHS resources, wherever
practicable, pharmacy contractors should supply the best value product to meet
the clinical need of the patient.
·
This
guide has been produced to support community pharmacists initiating oral
contraceptives as part of the PCS.
·
The
recommendations below are in line with current formulary positions across the
ICB. Where the recommendations below are unsuitable for the patient, community
pharmacists to use their clinical discretion regarding contraceptive choice.
·
An
updated ICB wide contraceptive guideline is being prepared and will be shared
across the system when available.
Recommendations:
Combined oral contraception (supplies should be branded):
Standard strength:
·
1stLine: Brevinor®(35micrograms ethinylestradiol & 500micrograms norethisterone)
· 2ndLine: Levest® (30micrograms ethinylestradiol & 150 micrograms levonorgestrel)
Low strength:
·
1stLine: Gedarel® (20micrograms
ethinylestradiol & 150 micrograms desogestrel)
· 2ndLine: Bimizza® (20micrograms ethinylestradiol & 150microgram desogestrel)
Progesterone only contraception
(supplies should be generic):
·
1stLine: Desogestrel 75 micrograms
·
2ndLine: Norethisterone 350 micrograms
Further information
can be found at the following page: https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/nhs-pharmacy-contraception-service/
NB: The Patient
Group Direction for supply of combined oral contraception or progesterone only
contraception for the Pharmacy Contraception Service should be followed at all
times.
- Version number
- 1.0
- Developed by
- HWE ICB
- Approved by
- Medicines Optimisation and Delivery Group (MODIG)
- Date approved / updated
- October 2024
- Review date
- This HWE ICB recommendation is based upon the evidence available at the time of publication. This recommendation will be reviewed upon request in the light of new evidence becoming available.
- Superseded version