PIP: Pharmatex tablets, a contraceptive method of French origin, have recently become available in Quebec. Full results of studies of Pharmatex in Canada are not yet available, but the tablets have been the object of intensive research in France for a dozen years, and several studies have been reported in the literature since 1974. Clinical tests have demonstrated that Pharmatex tablets are among the most effective contraceptive methods. The rare failures are attributed to faulty utilization. One of the 1st clinical studies of Pharmatex in Canada demonstrated a potent spermicidal action due to benzalkonium chloride, ease of insertion and absence of leaking, great flexibility of use due to rapid and prolonged action, and low rate of side effects. Research on theoretical efficacy shows that sperm are unable to survive in vivo or in vitro in the presence of the active principle, benzalkonium. Benzalkonium is a powerful antiseptic which may reduce the incidence of sexually transmitted diseases while respecting the vaginal flora. In 1 study of 20 months of use of Pharmatex tablets by 357 women, 3 pregnancies occurred, giving a Pearl index of .6.