EHC provision – no woman needs to buy medication*

Following a complaint from Streetwise, the young people’s service in Newcastle, please remind all staff, not just pharmacists, that if a woman presents for EHC and the pharmacist on duty is not accredited to provide the service, you must contact another pharmacy to check whether their accredited pharmacist is on duty and then support the woman to access that pharmacy for a consultation. No woman should have to pay for EHC.* The accreditation requirement is completion of the CPPE declaration of competence for EHC and therefore pharmacists can complete their training and declaration at any time. There is no delay for pharmacists to become accredited waiting for a training session to be provided by the commissioner. Most pharmacies across the North of Tyne area are contracted to provide EHC, so finding an alternative pharmacy should be quick and simple.

*In North Tyneside, the service is still restricted to those aged 13 to 24 years inclusive.