Local governments working with community pharmacies have helped bring down teenage pregnancy rates, in various parts of the country, though disparities persist, says a Local Government Association (LGA) report.
In Liverpool, the city council has worked with local pharmacies to develop an enhanced offer around sexual health.
The council commissioned 18 pharmacies to offer STI testing and chlamydia treatment, and initiate oral contraception prescriptions for routine contraception.
Another 76 pharmacies were provided with emergency contraception.
Following these measures, Liverpool has nearly halved its under-18 conception rate, from 35.6 percent in 2012 to 18.2 percent in 2022.
The report noted that Green Lane Pharmacy’s pilot of contraceptive implant services in Allerton, Liverpool, showcases how pharmacies can expand their role in frontline sexual health care.
The 12-month pilot has been developed to increase uptake of long-acting reversible contraceptive options and reduce rates of unintended pregnancies in Liverpool.
Barking and Dagenham, once notorious for the highest under-18 conceptions in London, has achieved a 73 percent reduction between 2011 and 2021 through coordinated efforts by the council and health partners.
One such partnership was through the commissioning of community pharmacies to provide a condom distribution scheme.
The council’s use of young inspectors empowered them to play a role in shaping a service that affects their lives.
The open dialogue between the youth health programmes coordinator and the pharmacies helped improve the condom distribution scheme.
However, regional disparities persist and the difference between the highest and lowest local rates is sevenfold.
While a nationally commissioned NHS Pharmacy Contraception Service will help decrease regional disparities, continued local investment in youth-informed, pharmacy-led local sexual health services is still essential to sustain progress.
Councils have a critical opportunity to build on proven models, to work with local pharmaceutical committees to review and improve sexual health services, the report said.
