Oral contraceptive pills (OCPs) are available over-the-counter (OTC) in Kuw
ait, and constitute a leading method for spacing and limiting children. Dat
a from a nationally representative survey of Kuwaiti women are used to exam
ine OTC use of OCPs. One-fourth of the women initiated use without consulti
ng a doctor, and 50% bought OCPs from the pharmacy. No socioeconomic or dem
ographic differences were found between those who consulted a physician, im
plying that women of different background have similar accessibility to the
physician. Using multivariate analysis, the odds of consulting a physician
were found to be significantly lower for women who first bought OCPs direc
tly from the commercial pharmacy. The duration of first time OCP use did no
t differ according to physician consultation. It is concluded that OTC avai
lability of OCPs has many advantages and prevents unwanted pregnancy. Howev
er, there is a need for better packaging and instructions that would enable
high-risk women to identify themselves and to use OCPs under physician sup
ervision. (C) 2001 International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics. A
ll rights reserved.