Slynd® – A Progestin-Only Pill with a Wider Missed-Pill Window

Drug Review: Volume 22, Issue 8 (PDF)

An unintended pregnancy (UP) can have significant health, social and financial impacts on the mother and their family. In Canada, it is estimated that nearly 8.6 million women of reproductive age (between 15 and 49 years old) are at risk of UPs. A major contributing factor is not using contraception consistently or correctly, which can stem from side effects associated with contraceptive use and/or noncompliance to a strict schedule of administration.

Currently, oral contraceptive pills used for the prevention of pregnancy include progestin-only pills (POPs) and combined oral contraceptives (COCs), which contain an estrogen and a progestin. While effective, COCs are associated with several estrogen-related adverse effects and health risks, such as blood clot formation and heart complications, that lead to high discontinuation rates. Currently available POPs are associated with unpredictable and irregular bleeding and a narrow missed-pill window of only 3 hours. A missed-pill window refers to the timeframe during which POPs must be taken to effectively prevent pregnancy.

Slynd^®(drospirenone) is the latest progestin-only option that offers a unique benefit of a wider missed-pill window of 24 hours, compared to the 3-hour window of traditional POPs. Studies have demonstrated that Slynd^® is not only as effective as other oral contraceptives (even in the case of a delayed dose of up to 24 hours) but also causes less unscheduled bleeding or spotting.

Slynd^® is an oral progestin-only pill that is a safe and effective option for conception control in adolescent and adult women. The recommended dosing regimen is one white tablet (drospirenone 4 mg) daily for the first 24 days followed by one green inert tablet which does not contain any hormones daily for 4 days. The cost of Slynd^® is comparable to other POPs available on the Canadian market. Given the improved tolerability compared to other oral contraceptives and improved contraceptive efficacy as a result of a wider missed pill window, Slynd^® will be fully covered for ClaimSecure groups subscribed to Managed and Open formularies.