The use of emergency contraception in Australasian emergency departments

To review the prescribing of emergency contraception by emergency departments in Australasia and compare it with other providers.

A postal questionnaire was sent to the director of each of the 79 Australasian College for Emergency Medicine accredited emergency departments in Australasia inquiring about the availability and prescribing habits for emergency contraception within each department.

Of the 79 emergency departments, 69 (87.3%) responded to the questionnaire and were aware of the 'emergency contraception regimen'. The majority of departments prescribed appropriately (56%) and only one department did not arrange adequate follow up. Anti-emetics are always used by 45 departments (78.9%). Discussion of future contraceptive needs at the time of presentation was only undertaken by 25 departments (43.9%). Written clinical guidelines for emergency contraception were present in 28 departments (40.6%).

Emergency departments are accessed by patients requesting contraception following unprotected intercourse or contraceptive failure. The prescribing of emergency contraception in Australasian emergency departments is comparable with other providers but substantial improvements could be made. Suggestions to assist this improvement include written clinical guidelines and patient information and purpose-made medication packs.