Bibliographic information

GuidelineAbortion care guideline
Year of Publication2022
Issuing InstitutionWHO

Recommendation

Updated

Suggest provision of information on abortion care by pharmacy workers

Recommended in favor

Conditional

Notes and Remarks

Condition: In contexts where the pharmacy worker is under the direct supervision of a pharmacist and there is access or referral to appropriate health services.

Implementation considerations

  • Different modalities exist for the provision of information on abortion, e.g. remote access via hotlines and telemedicine, and through approaches such as harm reduction and community-based outreach (see section 3.6) as well as in-person interactions with health workers.
  • Information should be accessible and understandable, including formats catering to low-literacy and differently abled populations.

KEY HUMAN RIGHTS CONSIDERATIONS RELEVANT TO THE PROVISION OF INFORMATION

  • Informed consent requires the provision of complete and accurate, evidence-based information.
  • Accurate information on abortion must be available to individuals in a way that respects privacy and confidentiality.
  • The right to refuse such information when offered must be respected.
  • Abortion information should be available to all persons without the consent or authorization of a third party. This includes abortion information being available to adolescents without the consent or authorization of a parent, guardian or other authority.
  • Information must be non-discriminatory and non-biased and presented in a respectful manner. It should not fuel stigma or discrimination.
  • Dissemination of misinformation, withholding of information and censorship should be prohibited.
  • Information should be acceptable to the person receiving it and of high quality; it should be presented in a way that can be understood and it must be accurate and evidence based.