Pharmaceutical Network warn DIY home abortion puts “women’s health in jeopardy”

In response to the recent Government consultation on home abortion, Christians in Pharmacy highlight numerous “distressing to life threatening” side effects that can be caused by abortion pills at home. By drawing on data from the yellow card scheme (reporting of side effects of medicines) and officially regulated prescribing advice and other trusted sources they make a clear and compelling case as to why these measures for medical abortion at home with only a telemedicine consultation should “end immediately”.

 

Summary of Findings:

 

Writing on behalf of 127 practising or retired “pharmacists, pharmacy technicians, pharmaceutical scientists and non-technical professionals” Christians in Pharmacy highlight serious safety and safeguarding concerns around new home abortion measures. A summary of the findings includes:

 

• Yellow Card Data (from 1988 to present day) detailing 5181 reports of suspected adverse reactions from the active medicinal components of the DiY medical abortion pills. 

• Yellow Card Data (from 1988 to present day) detailing  87 reports of fatal adverse reactions from the active medicinal components of the DiY medical abortion pills. 

• Misleading and incorrect information being sent out by abortion providers including:

  •  The omission of Summary of Product Characteristics  (SPC) information which states “The non-negotiable risk of failure...makes the follow-up visit [to clinic] mandatory to check that abortion is complete”

  • Downplaying of incomplete abortion data

    • BPAS states it is 1 to 3 women per 100 up to 9 weeks.

    • SPC states it is 4.5 to 7.8 women per 100 up to 9 weeks.

• Lack of assurance regarding consent due to inability of abortion industry to qualify whether women are fully informed and not acting under coercion before pills are sent. 

• Serious and potentially fatal ectopic pregnancy considerations, affecting a possible 860 abortions between April and December 2020, that are impossible to properly screen out without an in-clinic scan. 

• The inability of new measures to screen out the possible presence of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) and its impact on medical abortion

• Examples of the abortion industry “Trivialising the risk” of abortion pills without evidence. 

• Liability concerns surrounding who holds the "duty of care” and who is held responsible when things go wrong.