Sharon Cameron and our colleagues present a study investigating the provision of emergency contraception (EC) from pharmacies, using a mystery shopper methodology undertaken in Edinburgh, Dundee and London, UK.1 We report that most women were able to undertake their consultation in a private room and that half received advice about ongoing contraception. However, one in five women left the pharmacy without EC because of the unavailability of a pharmacist or lack of supplies of EC. This is unacceptable and the pharmacy profession, contractor bodies and commissioners have a role in raising the professional standards of all pharmacies to those of the best. Universal commissioning of free EC and ongoing contraception should be available through pharmacies regardless of a woman’s age. The authors remark that although availability of EC from pharmacies improves access, women in the UK still require a consultation with a pharmacist and the privacy of a sensitive consultation for EC in the community pharmacy is not guaranteed. They conclude that opportunities to prevent unintended pregnancy are being missed and it is now time to make EC available as a general sales list medicine (GSL).1 We would highlight that access to EC from pharmacies brings with it a series of distinct advantages that may outweigh the potential advantages of deregulation. As a GSL medicine, EC would be able …

中文翻译：

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社区药房的紧急避孕措施：回顾和展望。

莎朗·卡梅伦（Sharon Cameron）和我们的同事们进行了一项研究，研究了使用在英国爱丁堡，邓迪和英国伦敦进行的神秘购物者方法对药房提供紧急避孕（EC）的行为。1我们报告说，大多数妇女能够私下进行咨询。房间，那一半接受了有关正在进行的避孕的建议。但是，由于没有药剂师或缺少EC的供应，五分之一的妇女没有使用EC离开药房。这是不可接受的，而且药房专业人士，承包商机构和专员在将所有药房的专业标准提高到最佳水平方面起着作用。不论妇女的年龄如何，都可以通过药房进行免费EC的普遍调试和持续避孕。作者指出，尽管可以从药房获得EC的机会有所增加，但英国的妇女仍需要与药剂师进行协商，并且不能保证在社区药房中进行EC敏感咨询的私密性。他们得出的结论是，错过了防止意外怀孕的机会，现在是时候将EC用作一般销售清单药物（GSL）。1我们将强调，从药房获得EC会带来一系列明显的优势，可能会胜过放松管制的潜在优势。作为一种GSL药物，EC可以... 他们得出结论，预防意外怀孕的机会已被错过，现在是时候将EC用作一般销售清单药物（GSL）。1我们将强调，从药房获得EC会带来一系列明显的优势，这可能会胜过放松管制的潜在优势。作为一种GSL药物，EC可以... 他们得出结论，预防意外怀孕的机会已被错过，现在是时候将EC用作一般销售清单药物（GSL）。1我们将强调，从药房获得EC会带来一系列明显的优势，这可能会胜过放松管制的潜在优势。作为一种GSL药物，EC可以...