Before the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, it was standard procedure in the UK that access to emergency contraception (EC) was mainly limited to face-to-face consultations with a pharmacist, a prescription from a general practitioner (GP) or family planning clinic, or over-the-counter purchases. While moves towards accessibility have been made in recent years, with the inclusion of remote consultations and collections or postage of EC, greater measures need to be taken to open up further routes of accessibility, especially in the era of social distancing. During the height of the first 2020 UK lockdown, the National Heath Service (NHS) advised people to avoid face-to-face GP appointments unless absolutely necessary. A British Association for Sexual Health and HIV (BASHH) survey found that since March 2020, 54% of local sexual and reproductive health (SRH) clinics have closed altogether.1 BASHH also noted that staffing at SRH clinics is now less than half of what it was at the beginning of March. Thus, EC has become increasingly inaccessible at both SRH clinics and GP surgeries. As a result, many organisations such as the British Pregnancy Advisory Service (BPAS) have advocated for EC to become a general sales medicine, which would allow it to be sold straight off the shelf, removing the need for compulsory consultations.2 With the current staff shortages, and with pharmacies becoming increasingly stretched, it makes sense to expand access to EC so that women …

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紧急避孕药应该作为一般销售药物吗？

在冠状病毒（COVID-19）大流行之前，英国的标准程序是紧急避孕（EC）的使用仅限于与药剂师的面对面咨询，全科医生（GP）或家庭的处方计划诊所或非处方购买。尽管近年来已经朝着无障碍获取迈进了一步，其中包括远程咨询和欧共体的征收或邮寄，但仍需要采取更大的措施来开辟更多的无障碍获取途径，尤其是在社会疏远的时代。在2020年英国首次封锁的高峰期，除非绝对必要，否则美国国家卫生服务局（NHS）建议人们避免面对面的GP任命。英国性健康与艾滋病协会（BASHH）的一项调查发现，自2020年3月以来，54％的当地性健康和生殖健康（SRH）诊所已全部关闭。1BASHH还指出，SRH诊所的人员编制现在不到三月初的一半。因此，在SRH诊所和GP手术室中，EC变得越来越不可访问。结果，许多组织，例如英国怀孕咨询服务公司（BPAS）都提倡EC成为一般销售药物，这将使EC可以立即出售，从而无需进行强制性咨询。2人员短缺，以及药店日趋紧张，扩大进入欧共体的渠道以使妇女... 在SRH诊所和GP手术室中，越来越难以获得EC。结果，许多组织，例如英国怀孕咨询服务公司（BPAS）都提倡EC成为一般销售药物，这将使EC可以立即出售，从而无需进行强制性咨询。2人员短缺，以及药店日趋紧张，扩大进入欧共体的渠道以使妇女... 在SRH诊所和GP手术室中，越来越难以获得EC。结果，许多组织，例如英国怀孕咨询服务公司（BPAS）都提倡EC成为一般销售药物，这将使EC可以立即出售，从而无需进行强制性咨询。2人员短缺，以及药店日趋紧张，扩大进入欧共体的渠道以使妇女...