Misinforming teens
March 29, 2012
A NEW study from researchers at
the University of Boston has found
many US pharmacies are spreading
misinformation about emergency
contraception.
As part of the study, researchers
called every listed pharmacy across
five major US cities (Austin,
Cleveland, Nashville, Philadelphia,
and Portland) posing firstly as 17-
year old girls, and then as doctors
representing 17-year old girls.
Despite a Federal Mandate
requiring pharmacies to provide
women aged 17 and over with
access to the emergency
contraception drug, Plan B,
researchers when posing as 17-
year old females, found that 19%
of pharmacies refused to do so.
When posing as doctors with 17-
year old patients, only 3% of
pharmacists refused.
Interestingly when quizzed by the
“teens” over the legal age to buy
Plan B 57% of pharmacy employees
answered correctly, compared to
61% who answered correctly to GPs.
“It appears that 1 in 5 adolescents
who phone pharmacies looking for
EC are told they cannot obtain it
under any circumstances and that
nearly half of all adolescents and
physicians are told an erroneously
high age for EC access without a
prescription,” the researchers said.
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