Plan B (MAP) evades all restrictions.

Toronto -- The abortifacient morning-after pill (MAP), recently authorized for dispensation without a doctor's prescription in Canada. has now been freed from any Ontario restrictions by intervention of that province's Privacy Commissioner. Ann Cavoukian's office has struck down even the meagre restrictions imposed on its issue.

Pharmacists in the province are governed by the Ontario College of Pharmacists which sets their standards of practice. One such standard relates to "continuity of care for the patient." When dealing with the MAP (also known as Plan B) which contains massive doses of the hormones found in regular contraceptive pills and presents serious health risks to women, particularly those with pre-existing medical conditions, the OCP prepared voluntary guidelines for pharmacists before dispensing the drug. These included asking women to complete a screening form, some questions of which concerned their sexual history. The guidelines called for the collection of the woman's name, address and phone number. Janet Cooper, a senior executive of the OCP, noted that such information was necessary, firstly to determine if the pill would be used effectively (within 3 days of intercourse), and in the case of repeated requests that "[the patient] probably needs to be advised to get better contraception" (Tor. Star, Dec. 2, 2005).

However, even these very limited limitations were found to be too much for the feminist lobby. As Abby Lippman, chair of the Canadian Women's Health Council opined, "I think it is an invasion of privacy. Why should women have to go through this?" (Tor. Star, as above). Another feminist "health" coalition is now working to have Plan B taken completely off the drug schedule (it is currently a Schedule II, "behind the counter" prescription) and made available at grocery and variety stores.

After Cavoukian's intervention, the OCP backed down and now plan to work on "made-in-Ontario" guidelines which suit the feminists' "privacy" requirements.

An interesting sidebar to the controversy shows that many of the concerns over privacy may have arisen from an article in the Canadian Medical Association Journal, a publication which an OCP executive claims has a "grudge against pharmacies" (Nat. Post, Dec. 3, 2005). Dr. John Hoey, its editor, indulged in a bit of "investigative journalism" when he sent 13 women from across Canada to buy the MAP and report on how their request was received by the pharmacist. This editorial, slated for the January 3 edition of CMAJ, was published in an abbreviated form after protests from the pharmacists' association. Naturally, editor Hoey is crying "censorship" in a very loud voice (Can West News Service, Dec. 13, 2005)