All about ellaOne®
All about ellaOne®
As we saw in the video, customers value a pharmacist’s recommendation when making decisions about EHC.7 Recognising the benefits of ellaOne® is important so that you can offer your customer all the facts.
Why choose ellaOne®
Customers prioritise efficacy (84%)7 above all other factors, and 83% of women would pay more for a more effective EHC.8
The Faculty of Sexual and Reproductive Healthcare (FSRH) recommends that women should be advised that ulipristal acetate (ellaOne) has been demonstrated to be more effective than levonorgestrel9
The FSRH recommends that ulipristal acetate should be considered as first-line oral emergency contraception for women who have had UPSI within 120 hours (5 days)9
ellaOne® is 2.5x more effective than levonorgestrel3
ellaOne® works during the most fertile days before ovulation (during the LH rise) whereas levonorgestrel is no more effective than a placebo at this time4
ellaOne® may not be suitable for everyone and full information can be found in the SmPC. The Fraser Guidelines should be taken into consideration every time a young person under the age of 16 requests a supply.10
CLICK ON THE TABS BELOW to find out more about ellaOne®.
DOSE
SIDE EFFECTS
ADDITIONAL ADVICE
Dose5
One tablet to be taken orally as soon as possible and no later than 5 days (120 hours) after UPSI. This can be taken at any point in the cycle, with or without food.
If your customer vomits within 3 hours of taking the tablet, advise them to take another tablet as soon as possible.
Side effects5
Although the risk of side effects is not a main reason to choose EHC, it remains a consideration for customers.7 You can advise them that common side effects (may affect up to 1 in 10 people) include:
Nausea, abdominal (stomach) pain or discomfort, vomiting
Painful periods, pelvic pain, breast tenderness
Headache, dizziness, mood swings
Muscle pain, back pain, tiredness.
Some symptoms such as breast tenderness and abdominal (stomach) pain, vomiting, feeling sick (nausea) are also possible signs of pregnancy. If your customer misses their period and experiences symptoms such as these after taking ellaOne®, they should take a pregnancy test. A pregnancy rate of just over 2% has been observed in those who took ellaOne®.
Additional advice to give your customer5,11
The next period should come at a normal time but could be slightly earlier or later
Slight bleeding may occur before the next period
Breastfeeding should be avoided for 7 days after taking ellaOne®
If UPSI occurs again, ellaOne® will not protect them between the time it is taken and the next period, so ensure contraceptive measure are used, e.g. condoms
This medicine may make regular hormonal contraceptives, e.g. pills and patches, temporarily less effective. Continue to use hormonal contraception as usual after taking the tablet, but be sure to use condoms every time during sex until the next period.