The impact of the October 1995 'pill scare' on oral contraceptive use in the United Kingdom: analysis of a general practice automated database

Abstract

Objectives: We aimed to measure the change in prescribing of oral contraceptives after the October 1995 UK 'pill-scare'.

Design: Analysis was undertaken of an automated database of 100 general practices (372 doctors) in England, Scotland and Wales which use the AAH Meditel computer system. Analysis involved two stages. First, we reviewed prescribing of oral contraceptives at three time periods: before the scare (18.10.95); the following three months (19.10.95-18.1.96); and 3-6 months post-scare (19.1.96-18.4.96). Second, we examined the cohort of women on the pill at the time of the scare to assess discontinuation rates and pill switches after 6 months.

Results: Six months after the scare the proportion of women between 16 and 50 years of age prescribed any contraceptive pill decreased by only 3.5% (95% confidence limits: 2.2%-4.8%). The proportion of pill-users prescribed third generation pills decreased from 53.4% to 18.1%, while prescribing of second generation pills increased from 20.1% to 48.4%. The proportion of women currently on third or second generation pills at the time of the scare, who were no longer prescribed any pill after 6 months, was the same as for the equivalent period in the previous year.

Conclusions: The number of women prescribed the pill did not alter markedly after the pill-scare. The main change was a switch from third to second generation pill types. In any future pill-scare women should be warned about the risk of pill-failure if the correct procedure for switching pills is not followed.