Easier Access to Contraceptives Cuts Down on GP Appointments: Pharmaceutical Body

Over 800 women in Victoria and more than 600 in NSW and ACT have signed up for the contraception trial in the first few months.

A PlanB one-step contraceptive tablet is displayed in San Anselmo, California, on June 30, 2022. Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

Australian women in several states have cut 10,000 general practitioner (GP) appointments after local governments loosened restrictions on contraceptive pills.

This comes after state governments in Victoria, New South Wales (NSW), and the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) implemented a trial that allowed eligible women to get up to one year of contraceptive pills from pharmacies without the need to visit a GP.