Provision of Emergency Hormonal Contraception In Community Pharmacies within Staffordshire

Emergency contraception can prevent pregnancy after unprotected sex or if a contraceptive method has failed. The sooner that emergency contraception is taken the more effective it will be in preventing an unintended pregnancy.

This service will contribute to a reduction in the number of unintended pregnancies by improving access to EHC and sexual health advice to women of all ages in community settings across the whole of Staffordshire.

Please note the specification covers the whole of Staffordshire County Council area which includes North & South Staffordshire but not the city of Stoke on Trent.

The Service will:

• enable EHC to be made available in rural and urban pharmacies with coverage across all areas of Staffordshire
• provide one to one advice and provision of an appropriate form of oral EHC if and as required
• Where appropriate, to refer or signpost patients into mainstream contraceptive services and to ensure that pathways for post-coital Intra Uterine Device (IUD) fitting for emergency contraception are known to patients who request EHC.
• increase the availability of free condoms to young people within pharmacy settings by supporting the condom distribution scheme (facilitated by core sexual health services)
• direct patients for whom EHC is not the right solution, or who need advice on ongoing contraception into mainstream contraceptive services and appropriate healthcare services.
• refer patients who may have been at risk of STIs to an appropriate service
• strengthen the local network of contraceptive and sexual health services to help ensure easy and swift access to advice

The Agreement period will run from 1st April 2020 - 31st March 2022 with the option to extend by 2 x 12 months from 1st April 2022 - 31st March 2023 and 1st April 2023 - 31st March 2024