Distribution of oral contraceptives: legal changes and new concepts of preventive care.

Abstract

Health delivery models are changing and pharmaceutical laws are changing along with them. In the newly emerging model health workers dispense drugs free or at cost to consumers. The major advantages are that more extensive services and better quality care can be provided to more people by specially trained personnel and the available physicians can be more effectively and efficiently utilized. A number of countries have adopted new laws and health regulations to accommodate this new delivery model. A physicians prescription is not required for oral contraceptives in Antigua Grenada Hong Kong Iraq Jamaica Morocco Nepal Pakistan and the Philippines. In Fiji a prescription for oral contraceptives is required for the 1st time only. In the Republic of Korea South Africa Sri Lanka and Thailand a prescription for oral contraceptives is required by health or auxiliary personnel or by government authorized personnel. A prescription is still required for orals in France but it is valid for 1 year and supplied for 3 months at a time. The cost is reimbursable under Social Security Insurance. Classification of drugs under this new health model tend toward criteria based on preventive rather than curative agents.