In an unusual development, retail shops in the city have restricted the sale of emergency contraceptive pills which used to be easily available. Categorised as over-the-counter (OTC) drugs, these drugs are meant to be available without a prescription. However, this hasn’t been the case since the past few months, not just in the city but in other districts as well.
While pharmacists are refusing to sell these drugs over-the-counter, Uday Bhaskar, secretary general, All India Drug Control Officer’s Federation, clarified that no such restriction has been put in place. With complaints coming in from people about the issue, he further added that the pills can still be bought with a prescription.
The restriction, however, he felt may have occurred due to a widespread abuse of the pills, being aggravated by quacks in some areas. Says Bhaskar, “Some quacks prescribe the medicine post the 72 hour period, which only increases the problem. As the pill is an OTC drug, people assume it will have no side-effects and use it indiscriminately, leading to abuse of the drug. Long term usage also causes severe health complications.”
While indiscriminate use of the medicine is one issue, uneducated usage is another problem. Rooma Sinha, senior gynaecologist, laparoscopic and robotic surgeon, Apollo Hospitals explains that many use emergency contraceptive pills as a precaution, but should actually use only in case of a real emergency. “If anybody is using the pills two to three times in a month, it would be better if they opt for a regular contraceptive drug which is of low dosage. There are many options to choose from,” she says.
The problem with using such drugs – which have high levels of hormones – is that it leads to a hormonal imbalance. “It leads to health problems like delayed menstrual cycles, problem with ovulation and disproportionate weight gain. After a point of time, the body becomes confused about which hormones to produce and which not.” Such a disruption to the natural cycle takes a lot of time for the body to gain composure, she explains.
Dr Jyotsna, senior gynaecologist at Yashoda Hospital, cautions that not everybody can use the pill. “People who suffer from blood clots or who have Venus Thromboembolism (VTE) or whose family suffers from VTE should not take the drugs. It can become life threatening for someone with VTE to use emergency contraceptive pills.”
Another problem is the trickle down of information. Instead of finding out about the correct usage of the drug from a doctor, many youngsters adopt these drugs after finding out about it from their friends or from the internet, in many cases leading to misinformation. Dr Jyotsna says, “I’ve observed that it leads to more confusion in women who use the drug regularly as they don’t understand if their monthly periods have been delayed because of a pregnancy or hormonal imbalance.”
The best way around the issue is to consult a gynaecologist who will take into consideration all factors and suggest a suitable medical remedy.