Pharmacies who provide fast and convenient access to the morning-after pill could be helping to prevent 10 per cent more unwanted pregnancies, according to a study in the latest British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology.
UK researchers from South West Kent Primary Care Trust and the University of Bradford looked at 203 females aged from 13 to 20 who got the medication from family planning clinics and community pharmacies.
They discovered that those who went to a pharmacy to get the morning-after pill obtained it more than twice as quickly as those who went to their local clinic - in 16 hours rather than 41.
Figures from the World Health Organization suggest that taking emergency contraception up to 24 hours after unprotected sex prevents 95 per cent of pregnancies, while taking it between 24 and 48 hours later prevents 85 per cent.
The study also found that:
- Older teenagers tended to seek help quicker, with 14 year-olds taking almost four times as long (37 hours) as 20 year-olds (10 hours).
- The time it took to get the morning-after pill from family planning clinics was much more consistent, with the majority waiting between 38 and 42 hours.
- 72 per cent of those who obtained the morning-after pill from clinics were aged between 15 and 17, while 74 per cent who went to pharmacies were between 16 and 18.
- 25 per cent visited the pharmacy over the weekend and 26 per cent on a Monday.
- Two-thirds of girls under 16 said they needed the morning-after pill because they hadn't used any contraception. The other third blamed split condoms.
- Two-thirds of those in the 16 plus age group sought the morning-after pill because they had had a contraception failure - either the condom had split or they had missed taking the pill.
"The UK currently has the highest rate of teenage pregnancies in Western Europe and the highest rate of live births among teenagers" says Dr Kay Marshall from the School of Pharmacy at the University of Bradford.
"The morning-after pill - often referred to by health professionals as emergency hormonal contraception - has long been recognised as a safe and effective method of preventing unintended pregnancies.
"The name is a bit misleading, because it can actually be taken within 72 hours of unprotected sex, not just the morning after. But as the effectiveness of the morning-after pill declines significantly with time - it works best if taken within 24 hours - it's essential that it can be obtained as soon as possible.
"We believe that the females in our study were able to access the pill much more quickly from local pharmacists as they tend to be open outside normal working hours and at weekends."
The morning-after pill has traditionally been provided free in the UK by family doctors and family planning clinics. It became available over-the-counter at pharmacies in 2001.