By AINSLEY THOMSON
Women are booking in for pregnancy tests at medical centres and Family Planning clinics after the recall of a popular contraceptive pill.
Two batches of the Estelle-35 contraceptive have been recalled after a white placebo was found in place of an active yellow tablet in one blister pack.
Family Planning's national medical adviser, Christine Roke, said its clinics had been receiving phone calls and visits from concerned women who were relying on Estelle-35 for contraception.
These women were now having to undergo pregnancy tests, Dr Roke said.
A central Auckland medical centre, CityMed, has had a number of bookings for pregnancy tests.
Practice nurse manager Michelle Meyer said 11 women had tests yesterday and more were booked today.
Douglas Pharmaceuticals, which makes the Estelle-35 tablets, will pay for the tests.
"A lot of the girls haven't been at risk [of pregnancy], so we are just advising them to come in and do a straight swap of their tablets," Michelle Meyer said.
Despite the risk of pregnancy, most affected women did not appear to be panicking.
Auckland pharmacist Gill Moffat said most women who had been returning their Estelle-35 pills to her Queen St pharmacy had been calm and sensible.
"When we first phoned people yesterday, some were concerned, but once the situation was explained to them they were all right."
She said there had been a steady flow of women coming in to exchange their tablets.
Ms Moffat was advising them to keep taking the product.
"If people stop taking it, it will cause unwanted pregnancies," she said.
Although the risk of someone becoming pregnant is thought to be minor, Douglas Pharmaceuticals has taken legal advice about the possibility.
A senior lecturer in law at Victoria University, John Miller, said if a woman did become pregnant as a result of the mix-up, it might be possible for her to sue Douglas Pharmaceuticals.
He said women who became pregnant would not be prevented by ACC legislation from suing, because pregnancy and childbirth did not fall within the definition of "personal injury".
"It think it's a definite that they could sue," he said.
"There's no question the company has been negligent. Clearly they owe a duty of care and they have breached it."
Rush on pregnancy tests after pill mixup
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