Pharmacy

Pharmacists can provide abortion medication with a valid prescription. If you need an abortion, you can use our service to get a prescription. The prescription will be sent to a partner pharmacy near you. You’ll visit the pharmacy to collect and pay for your medication.

A pharmacist’s role

According to the SAPC e-note (23 December 2024), pharmacists:

• may not hinder or prevent any woman from exercising their choice to terminate a pregnancy based on their own personal opinion or beliefs;
• must act in the best interests of their patients;
• must respect patients’ autonomy in making reproductive health choices;
• must perform their duties for the well-being of their patients.

The South African Pharmacy Council clarified that pharmacists who refuse to dispense for abortion due to personal beliefs contravene the Rules relating to the code of conduct (BN 108 of 24 October 2008) published in accordance with section 35A(b)(i) of the Pharmacy Act 53 of 1974.

This note was in response to reports that 40% of pharmacists in South Africa refuse to dispense for abortion with dire consequences. We asked the SAPC to clarify the legal position of pharmacists to deny care and highlight the important role of pharmacists in access to safe abortion.

We will continue to monitor pharmacy dispensing for abortion and work with pharmacy professional bodies to raise pharmacist awareness of self-managed abortion and how this option can revolutionise access and change lives.

If a pharmacy refuses to dispense mifepristone or misoprostol on personal grounds, we encourage you to inform the pharmacy council, through their complaints portal here: https://lnkd.in/d77qm8vJ