The reason men can’t get your morning after pill

We’ve all been there.

That night of passion that led to a morning of panic if the dreaded condom breaks…

And many of us have bashfully taken ourselves to our local pharmacist to request the morning after pill in hope of avoiding any unwanted pregnancies.

But what happens if you can’t make it? You’ve got 24 hours before the pill’s effectiveness drops from 89 per cent down to 58 per cent if taken between 48-72 hours after unprotected sex.

This week, former Home and Away star Christie Hayes and The Bachelor’s Heather Maltan both revealed they sent their blokes to purchase the pill for them only to be flatly refused – and sadly it resulted in Heather suffering a miscarriage.

Be spoke to Amcal Senior Pharmacist James Nevile to find out exactly why men can’t get the morning after pill.

“It comes down to the pharmacist involved making sure they’ve got enough information to establish there’s a therapeutic need for the product,” James tells Be.

“When it comes to a male requesting the product, the pharmacist has to establish whether it is going to be right for the patient.”

And James reveals pharmacists do follow some guidelines, which can establish whether or not there was sexual consent.

“There are things they would want to establish, and it’s sometimes better to do this face-to-face to assess the person. They would be asking questions about whether or not they were on any other medication,” he continued.

“Even some questions about whether any type of sexual intercourse is consensual. So in some of these cases, they would have people presenting on behalf of others that have not been willing participants, there is some professional responsibility there."

But it’s not just down to consent, James reveals pharmacists use the consultation to discuss with women their contraception options. If someone was to continually rely on emergency contraception, then there are serious health side effects. So this is why he feels it's important for patients in person.

“There’s also the chance for the patient to voice any concerns or discuss further contraception," he says.

“It comes down to the professional judgment. Speaking over the phone does happen, and it can be a case-by-case call. In some cases the pharmacist might insist on seeing the patient. Sometimes that does mean it can be inconvenient to that patient.”

RELATED: Christie Hayes left outraged after pharmacist refuses her morning after pill
RELATED: Heather Maltman rushed to hospital

And while it can be hard to "establish" whether the woman is purchasing for herself or someone else, the pharmacist does need to use their “professional judgment.”

James says if there are any issues, women can contact their GP or family planning centre for guidance. If need be, GPs could be called out to assess a patient.

"Because we're registered health professionals, we have a level of responsibility," James adds. "In some cases it doesn't feel quite right. You may be concerned the patient may be at risk, whether it was sexual assault or not. It's not unreasonable to request to see the patient, just like a GP."

"While it can cause a bit of inconvenience, when you actually go through the process it's a positive thing. That consultation is more than just getting a product and moving on. The key for us is that the patient gets an appropriate outcome."

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