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.