Malta at 2021: “How are we still discussing accessibility to the morning-after pill?”
November 2021. In a valuable monitoring effort, a journalist from MaltaToday conducted again and for the 2nd year in a row, a survey to assess EC accessibility. Through a phone interview, pharmacies that will be on-call in the coming 6 weekends and holidays were asked if they sell emergency contraception (EC) pills, or not.
According to the findings, accessibility to EC pills in Malta has not improved much since last year: out of 119 pharmacies consulted across Malta and Gozo, an average 61% sell EC (similar to the 64% in 2020); this ranges from 45% to 75%, depending on the day and location (this range was 50% to 75% in 2020).
In Malta pharmacists have the right not to dispense EC on the grounds of conscientious objection. In response to these findings, a member of parliament said: “It’s 2021, and we still have people who impose their morality on others.”
Read the full report by MaltaToday here or here. And related news here or here.
