Contraception advice on missed pills changing
9 August 2011
Advice for patients who miss taking their oral contraceptive pill is changing, focusing on the number of pills missed before extra precautions are needed, an expert says.
Dr Deborah Bateson, medical director of Family Planning NSW, said the service had already switched to recommending that women do not need to take extra precautions unless they miss 2 active pills.
"Making the advice about missed pills as straightforward as possible in order to reduce confusion is very important," she said.
The service planned to issue new fact sheets reflecting the latest advice. The advice applies to the combined pill, which contains two hormones, oestrogen and progestogen, and not to the progestogen-only mini-pill.
Previous advice defined a pill taken within 24 hours as a 'late' pill, and one more than 24 hours late was a 'missed' pill.
If women miss 2 pills, they need to take additional precautions, such as using condoms, for the next 7 days. There has been a similar rethink in the UK, where the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists has recommended women can be reassured that if only one pill is missed – more than 24 hours and up to 48 hours late – emergency contraception is not needed.
In the UK, the government regulator of medicines has asked pharmaceutical companies to amend their patient information leaflets.
Companies in Australia have not yet updated their patient information leaflets, but that may change.
Last Reviewed: 09 August 2011
- 1. Family Planning NSW. Missed pills (the combined pill) (reviewed Oct 2010). http://www.fpnsw.org.au/954446_8.html (accessed Aug 2011).
2. Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists Faculty of Faculty of Sexual and Reproductive Healthcare Clinical Effectiveness Unit. Missed pill recommendations. CEU statement (May 2011). http://www.fsrh.org/pdfs/MediaStatementMissedPills.pdf (accessed Aug 2011).
