oral-contraception

Combined oral contraceptives

This CPD module aims to help pharmacy technicians update their knowledge on combined oral contraceptives.

Learning Objectives

After completing this module, pharmacy technicians will be able to:    

  • Describe the role the pharmacy team can play in improving access to contraception
  • Explain the differences between COCs and LARCs
  • Provide useful information regarding usage and possible adverse events.

Key points

  • Community pharmacy’s involvement in improving access to contraception continues to increase
  • Combined oral contraceptives compare favourably in terms of effectiveness to some other birth control methods but this efficacy is reduced if COCs are not used correctly and consistently
  • Long-acting reversible contraception (LARC) is more effective than COCs and less impacted by user error. The NHS is keen to ensure that patients are aware of this option.
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