The NHS makes the morning-after pill available for free through pharmacies in England Contraception and family planning
The NHS has made the morning-after pill available for free through pharmacies in England in a bid to reduce the ‘postcode lottery’ for access to emergency contraception.
Nearly 10,000 pharmacies are now able to offer the pill free of charge, saving those who need free emergency contraception from having to visit their GP or have an appointment at a sexual health clinic.
Some pharmacies were previously charging up to £30 for emergency oral contraceptives.
NHS National Clinical Director for Women’s Health, Dr Sue Mann said the expansion was “one of the biggest changes to sexual health services since the 1960s” and “a game-changer in making reproductive healthcare more readily available to women”.
“Instead of trying to search for services for women or explain their needs, starting today women can go to their local pharmacy and get emergency oral contraceptive pills for free without having to make an appointment,” she said.
“With four out of five people living within a 20-minute walk of a pharmacy, this service is another example of how the NHS is already delivering on our 10-Year Health Plan commitment to shift care to the heart of communities.”
This coincides with the NHS announcing that people who have recently been prescribed antidepressants will now also be able to seek advice and support about their medicines and healthy lifestyle changes from their local pharmacist.
Henry Greig, chief executive of the National Pharmaceutical Federation, which represents around 6,000 independent pharmacies across the UK, said: “We have long called for a national mandate for emergency contraception, so this is good news for patients and pharmacies alike that this is being launched today.”
“For too long, access to free emergency contraception has been a symbolic lottery for patients, with local arrangements only in certain parts of the country.
“It is really important that pharmacies, which are under great pressure and closing in record numbers, are sustainably funded so they can continue to provide services to patients like these.”
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Care Minister Stephen Kinnock said: “This is a huge step forward that removes barriers to accessing reproductive care that have failed women for too long.
“Pharmacies play a central role in communities, as they are trusted by local residents and easy to access. This is why it is important that a wide range of services and medicines are available.”