Oral retinoids and the pregnancy prevention programme

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Pharmacy guide

This pharmacy guide covers safe prescribing, dispensing and counselling advice to protect people who use oral retinoids. This includes people who are at risk of pregnancy under the pregnancy prevention programme (PPP).

^{First Published: 16 January 2020

Updated: February 2026}

Sections on this page

What the PPP is
What and who the PPP applies to
What the PPP involves
- Pregnancy testing
- Contraception requirements
- Education for healthcare professionals and people taking oral retinoids
Prescribing under the PPP
Consultations, including follow ups
Monitoring
Dispensing retinoids under the PPP
Counselling for all people on oral retinoids
When to refer
Audits
Further information

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Monitoring

All oral retinoids require monitoring for:

People at risk of pregnancy – they should receive regular follow-up and pregnancy testing, depending on the method of contraception and pregnancy risk
People with signs of depression and suicidal ideation – they should be referred, if necessary, including people with history of depression. See the MHRA Drug Safety Update Oral retinoid medicine: revised and simplified pregnancy prevention educational materials for healthcare professionals and women (2019)
For isotretinoin, check mental health and sexual function side effects at follow-up appointments, although by the third appointment this may be brief. See the MHRA drug safety update Isotretinoin – updates to prescribing guidance and survey of services (2025)
- For information on initial and follow-up isotretinoin consultations, see the section on consultations, including follow ups.

Further details on monitoring and adverse/side effects of oral retinoids can be found in the BNF, individual SPCs and the MHRA Report of The Commission on Human Medicines IIAEWG (updated January 2026).