#IMPORTANT #UPDATE: #ECP’s in #TAMILNADU
The Director of the Drugs Control Dept. will direct pharmacies to make emergency contraceptive pills available for OVER THE COUNTER purchase. The Dept. will clarify to all pharmacies that ECP’s are LEGAL/NOT BANNED, must be stocked & sold

Those of us who stock ECP’s and give out to people need/can't find them WILL CONTINUE TO DO SO. So yes, ask if you need the pill, but before you do, PLEASE CHECK PHARMACIES IN YOUR AREA. If it’s not available at a pharmacy let us know so we can inform the area drug inspector.

BACKGROUND:

On Wednesday, Nov 11th at 9 PM, I sent out an email representation drafted by an amazing bunch of lawyers regarding ECP’s being unavailable and inaccessible for purchase in TN to 5 state departments: Drugs Control, Health, Home, Social Welfare, Women’s Commission.

On the morning of Thursday, Nov 12th, just a night after my email had been sent, I got a call from the Drugs Inspector of the Royapettah Area. I was/still am so impressed.

The Director of Drugs Control had sent a screenshot of my email to all drug inspectors as soon as he saw it, asking for clarification on why ECP’s aren't available at pharmacies and to set it right immediately. He had also asked the Royapettah area Drugs Inspector (DI) to meet me

Before Royapettah DI Murali Krishnan came to my house, all the DI’s in the city had sent out a message on their WhatsApp groups constituting all the pharmacies in the area. The message clarified that ECP’s are NOT abortion pills/illegal/banned, and must be stocked up & sold OTC.

#CHENNAI: There is not much stock of ECP’s in the state right now, but I have been promised that all pharmacies will stock up in a few weeks time.

Yesterday, the DI managed to track down 70 pills at a wholesaler in Parry’s Corner, and had a distributor bring it over to the pharmacy closest to my house (to pacify me no doubt, but I’m very pleased). RV MEDICALS ON LLYODS ROAD, CHENNAI will always have stock, the owner said.

PLEASE LET’S KEEP TABS ON PHARMACIES & REPORT BACK. ECP’S ARE ESSENTIAL+NEED TO BE AT EVERY PHARMACY LIKE OTHER MEDS. NO ONE SHOULD HAVE TO TRY AT MANY PHARMACIES/GET ANXIOUS FINDING ONE. ECP'S ARE JUST AS IMPORTANT AS CROCIN/GELUSIL. ALL PHARMACIES ARE TO STOCK & SELL, NOT SOME.

OTHER #TAMILNADU #DISTRICTS: The DI told me that it is possible to have all #Chennai pharmacies abide by this, and keep #ECP's. Of pharmacies outside the city he wasn’t so sure because pharmacists are unlikely to stock up because of little/no demand.

I said I get requests from all other districts and have had to send #ECP’s to #Pollachi, #Madurai, #Coimbatore districts by courier/bus service/hand delivery.

He has agreed to get at least some pharmacies in every constituency in #TN stock up on #ECP’s and provide the list. Obviously, this will take a while, but we need to keep the pressure up and aid the system wherever possible.

END OF UPDATE, But PS: I’ve given away over 60 pills and have received twice as many requests just between May and today. Staying where I do means most people have come personally to pick up the pill. It’s never a two-minute come-take-go scene.

People come with so much worry & Q's, and each give away is min 15 minutes goes upto 45 mins and in some cases there are phone calls with follow up concerns.

It’s a lot sometimes, but point is, I’m meeting these people, listening to their stories, and I’ll write about it when I’m not lazy, but I can say now that the world will be a slightly better place

if we recognise that many people are sexually active without enough information, spoke more about #SRHR, made info and means of contraception available and accessible, and prioritised safe, fun, pleasurable sex for everybody.