Community pharmacies could help reduce teenage pregnancies if localised services they are offering are adopted nationally, a new report has suggested.
The report, from the Local Government Authority (LGA), presents the “evidence, challenges and opportunities” for councils in bringing down under-18 conception rates in England.
It said Liverpool has worked with 18 local pharmacies to “develop an enhanced offer around sexual health”.
According to the report, published September 10, those 18 pharmacies are able to offer “STI testing and chlamydia treatment, and initiate pill prescriptions for routine contraception”.
“Another 78 pharmacies can provide repeat prescriptions and emergency contraception,” it added.
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Condoms are also available at clinics and pharmacy sites in more than 50 locations across Liverpool, the LGA said, with “the option to have them posted via the online service”.
“This pharmacy pilot provides a different and perhaps more discreet space.
Matt Ashton, director of public health for Liverpool City Council.The city’s efforts to improve access to sexual health services appear to be working - according to local government data, Liverpool’s under-18 conception rate dropped from 35.6% in 2012 to 18.2% in 2022.
And this month, Green Lane Pharmacy in Allerton, Liverpool, became the first pharmacy in the UK to provide free contraceptive implants as part of a landmark NHS pilot.
“The pharmacy implant pilot scheme has been launched to help more people, particularly younger people, obtain the contraception they need and reduce the risk of unintended pregnancies in Liverpool,” said Matt Ashton, director of public health for Liverpool City Council.
“We have made significant progress in reducing teenage pregnancy rates and commissioned high quality, accessible sexual health services and 0-19 provision to support young people. However, we know that rates of unintended pregnancy are still higher in Liverpool than other areas, and we want to go further and faster to help people.
“This pharmacy pilot provides a different and perhaps more discreet space.
“Attending a sexual health service is not for everyone and some people may be more comfortable attending a pharmacy. This is why we are making provision far more accessible in other settings citywide. You could be attending a pharmacy for a range of services, making this a more discreet offer.
“We will evaluate the impact, and I look forward to seeing the outcome of the pilot and plans for a broader roll out to more locations.”
Young inspectors
The report also covers the London borough of Barking and Dagenham, where a “young inspectors” programme helps to inform the area’s condom distribution scheme.
The programme sees young people act as “mystery shoppers” at “different pharmacies which offer the scheme within the borough”, the report said.
The “young inspectors” gave feedback on the pharmacies they visited.
The report said they “often noted a friendly and welcoming atmosphere, sharing this as a reason they would return to a pharmacy and recommend it to their friends.
“However, a challenge often identified is being signposted to other pharmacies if not enough staff are available.”
Read more: CPE reveals start date for free morning-after pill in pharmacies
The LGA said feedback from the inspections “enables the youth health programmes coordinator to have an open dialogue with pharmacies about their performance” and is “directly fed into formal training which is provided annually”.
It added while Barking and Dagenham historically had one of the highest rates of under-18 conception in London, the council and its health partners “achieved a reduction of 73%” between 2011 and 2021.
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The report comes after Community Pharmacy England (CPE) this month revealed the provisional launch dates of agreed changes to the 2025/26 pharmacy contract, including the free morning-after pill rollout.
The pharmacy negotiator set out that the rollout of free oral emergency contraception in pharmacies is due to launch on October 29.
Read more: Sex toy shop offers free online NHS contraception service
Meanwhile, CPE guidance on the NHS pharmacy contraception service (PCS) has revealed that provision of oral contraception can only be made for “contraceptive purposes” and not for managing bleeding or acne.
“The service specification now clarifies that provisions of OC can only be made to individuals where the requirement is for contraceptive purposes,” CPE said in a briefing published on September 1.
