Emergency contraception
Dispensing emergency contraception is one of the most important and most sensitive pharmacy services. eviflow supports pharmacy teams in advising customers discreetly and at a high professional level in an often unsettling situation.
Born out of the pharMe research project
eviflow builds on the pharMe research project, which was developed at the University of Basel and piloted in Swiss pharmacies. The aim of the project was to improve access to emergency contraception and to enable consistent, high-quality counselling.
For its innovative strength, pharMe received the Innovations Award at the Swiss Pharmacists' Congress 2025.
The implementation of pharMe was studied scientifically. The results show that the digital counselling approach can be successfully integrated into everyday pharmacy work and is perceived by customers as simple, discreet and trustworthy.
Emergency contraception in the health policy spotlight
The dispensing of emergency contraception has been the focus of professional and health policy discussions for several years. At its heart are low-threshold access, women's self-determination and ensuring non-judgemental, high-quality counselling.
In customer surveys, a lack of discretion was cited as the biggest barrier to accessing emergency contraception. eviflow allows customers to enter sensitive information digitally and discreetly before the counselling conversation. This strengthens privacy while creating the basis for structured, evidence-based counselling that supports women in choosing the most effective and safest emergency contraception.
Based on current recommendations
The counselling flow is based on the current IENK recommendations as well as those of the College of Sexual and Reproductive Healthcare (CoSRH). With the comprehensive update of the IENK recommendations in summer 2026, eviflow becomes even more relevant. The changes are integrated directly into the counselling process and support pharmacy teams in their practical implementation.
About the author
In addition to her work at Qualitheke GmbH and in a 24-hour pharmacy in Basel, Esther is involved in teaching and research at the Pharmaceutical Sciences of the University of Basel, with a focus on emergency contraception. She is a board member of the Interprofessional Expert Group on Emergency Contraception (IENK) and a board member of the European Consortium for Emergency Contraception (ECEC).
Her scientific and practical expertise forms the basis for the continuous development of the content.
Acknowledgements
The development of this counselling flow would not have been possible without the support of numerous individuals and organisations.
We would like to express our sincere thanks to the Interprofessional Expert Group on Emergency Contraception (IENK) for their long-standing collaboration and for granting permission to use the current recommendations as the basis for eviflow.
We also thank Mara Dal Mas, Sexual Health Counsellor in Ticino, for reviewing the Italian version.
Our sincere thanks also go to the Master's students Audrey, Aline, Lia, Claudia, Jasmin and Sabrina for their valuable contribution to the pharMe research project and to the development of eviflow.
Finally, we would like to thank all pharmacies that tested eviflow or an earlier version of the project in their daily practice. Their trust, time and valuable feedback have been instrumental in the continued development of eviflow.