A CATHOLIC pharmacist is predicting a rise in the number of unwanted pregnancies after a morning after pill became available over the counter at chemists from January 1.
Tony Ciriello of Nerang said the biggest problem with the relaxation of Postinor-2 sales was that it would encourage promiscuity.
‘I don’t agree with the sale of it. I think they will just say, ‘if I don’t have safe sex on my side then I can always get by the next morning’, and let’s not forget the time factor is very crucial.’
‘I think the amount of unwanted pregnancies will increase.’
Users would have to answer several questions before they purchased the drug but Mr Ciriello said the prospect of giving personal details to a chemist was unlikely to stop people seeking to use it.
The drug had been available for some time with a doctor’s prescription and doctors are also not happy about the over the counter availability of the pill.
Queensland president of the Medical Guild of St Luke, Dr Terrence Kent, said he had spoken with several fellow Catholic doctors since January 1 and all were opposed to not just the over counter sales but the drug itself.
He said while Postinor-2 had been available for some time through GPs, Catholic doctors he had spoken to had refused to prescribe it.
Dr Kent said he had medical concerns about the drug, as well as ethical objections.
The effectiveness of the drug is reported to decline to just 58 per cent if used between 48 and 72 hours after sex.
