The inner city boroughs of Lambeth and Southwark in south London are launching an over-the-counter contraceptive pill pilot to encourage more teenage girls to use contraception.

BBC News reports that the government is ‘struggling’ to meet its 2010 deadline for halving teen pregnancies in the UK.

The UK has the highest teen pregnancy rates in Europe – and Lambeth and Southwark are two boroughs with the highest rates of teen pregnancy nationwide. Each area has been given a target reduction in the rate of between 40 per cent and 60 per cent. However, opponents of the scheme say there is no evidence that offering the Pill over-the-counter – with a health assessment by the pharmacist rather than a GP – would make any difference to teen pregnancy rates and that more work needs to be done in the area of relationships.

In England in 2007, 42 in every 1,000 teenage girls under the age of 18 years conceived. Most did not intend to become pregnant and around 50 per cent were terminated.

Former Health Minister Lord Darzi first proposed training pharmacists to dispense the Pill. Southwark has been working on the scheme for more than a year – and has developed a course of training for pharmacists with the help of King’s College London, which would be rolled out across the UK if the pilot proved successful. A total of three pharmacies across the boroughs will begin offering the service to girls over the age of 16, as an alternative using the morning after pill as contraception.

Pharmacist Cuthbert Churinder – who has been trained by King's College – said that on average he does 220 consultations every month for girls asking for the morning after pill.

‘I think the PCT is doing the right thing to have chosen us to offer longer term and more reliable contraception to these young girls,’ said Mr Churinder.

The project has been approved by the Department of Health.

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