For many women, seeking emergency contraception can be a stressful experience, and pharmacists must always remain professional and non-judgmental. There is no doubt that the provision of oral EC requires more than a tick box exercise on the PGD template.  

Pharmacists face many challenges in addition to determining the clinical suitability of oral EC; they must assess a patient's capacity to consent; be alert to any possible safeguarding concerns; and manage cases where English is not a patient's native language.  

From the patient's perspective, one complication is that some pharmacists might object to a supply of oral EC on religious or moral grounds. This possibility has led to the introduction of a "conscience clause" that allows such objections.