Contraceptive pill offered online
- 00:01:09
- ITN
Contraceptive pill offered online
A new online service will allow women to get the contraceptive pill without visiting their doctor.The medical website DrThom is offering three months' supply for £29.99.It will initially be available to women already on the Pill, but there are plans to expand it to include those who have never taken it before.A spokesman for the firm said patients will have to fill in a health questionnaire which includes asking the woman about prior use of the Pill, family history of cancer and blood pressure, weight and height, and additional questions can be asked by a doctor from the website.Doctors will have to rely on patients accurately reflecting their medical history and telling the truth about other factors, including their age.A spokesman for the service said DrThom was unable to "verify anything independently" although it had decided to prescribe to women aged 18 and over."A woman has to say how old she is and as part of the registration and will have to supply their date of birth," he said. "But there's nothing to stop somebody who's, say, 17 lying about their age."The IT system would pick up anybody registering as being under 18 and flag that up to staff, he said.The credit or debit card also has to be in the patient's name.Patients wishing to get repeat prescriptions and those who have never taken the Pill before will have to provide specific details of their blood pressure reading.Women taking the most commonly prescribed combined Pill, containing oestrogens and progestogens, have a small risk of blood clots (also called thromboembolism).Smoking increases the risk of blood clots as does smoking, diabetes, high blood pressure and a family history of clots.Dr Thomas Van Every, DrThom's medical director, said: "The aim of our new contraceptive service is to make it easier and more convenient for women throughout the UK to get access to the Pill."Our specialist service is ideal for a woman living a long way from her GP or a woman who is too busy because of work or childcare to take the time to visit her GP."We see the DrThom service as part of an ongoing trend - a trend consistent with UK Government policy - to help women access contraceptive services as close to their home as possible."
ITN | June 23, 2008
