Pharmacists have been warned by the Manitoba Ombudsman that they should respect the desire of patients to remain anonymous, particularly while receiving emergency contraception. A woman had already complained that embarrassing questions were asked by the pharmacists while she was buying the Levonorgestrel, also called the drug Plan B. The questions asked were with regard to the woman’s sexual relations. Such medicines do not require a prescription nor the personal health information of the patient, according to the ombudsman.
Identifying or recording the patient’s information should be done only with the consent of the patient, according to the authority. A similar notice has also been issued by the Manitoba Pharmaceutical Association. The pharmacist should also reveal the reason if he does not wish to supply the medicine asked for by the patient. Plan B, also known as the morning-after pill is reported to have a 95% success rate where preventing pregnancy is concerned.
