"Expanding knowledge and access
to emergency contraception"
"Expanding knowledge and access to emergency contraception in Europe"
The Ministry of Health in Luxembourg announced on March 17 that UPA EC is available in pharmacies without a prescription since February 1, 2015. Click here to read Ministry statement. We have also been informed that UPA EC pills will be available for direct purchase in pharmacies in the Netherlands, Portugal and Spain in the coming weeks…
June 2023. Health authorities in Japan announced the piloting of a new modality to dispense emergency contraception (EC) pills through pharmacies. Until now a prescription from a gynecologist was required to buy an EC pill. Only LNG EC pills are available in Japan. The pill and the consultation with the doctor (which is mandatory) cost…
Over the past year, there have been discussions around whether hormonal contraception should be resumed immediately after the intake of UPA EC. The concern is that using a progestin-containing contraceptive could counteract the effects of UPA EC. UPA is an anti-progestin that works by delaying or inhibiting ovulation; if a progestin-containing contraceptive is administered at the…
June 6, 2018. The Ministry of Health of Andorra announced today that, upon review of the current provision policies for emergency contraceptive pills (ECPs), pharmacists have been informed that prescription requirements have been lifted. Andorra currently has both LNG and UPA ECP products in the market. The safety profile of ECPs, the critical importance of facilitating…
October 2025 — Last September, the World Health Organization (WHO) published the 24th Model List of Essential Medicines (EML). Levonorgestrel (LNG) emergency contraceptive pills (ECPs) have been included in the EML since 1999, and ulipristal acetate (UPA) ECPs since 2017, underscoring their continued importance in ensuring access to safe and effective reproductive health options. Essential…
June 2022. Our sister organization, the American Society for Emergency Contraception (ASEC), just updated its factsheet on EC efficacy and body weight, an excellent summary of the current understanding and recommendations on this issue. This update is based on the publication by Dr. Alison Edelman and team of “Double Dosing Levonorgestrel-Based Emergency Contraception for Individuals…
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