Emergency contraception service at 10,000 pharmacies to help ‘reduce pressure on GPs’
Women across the country can now access the morning-after pill for free from their pharmacy without needing a GP appointment, in a move that the Government said will help ‘reduce unnecessary pressure on GPs’.
Oral emergency contraception will now be available for free without an appointment for those who need it at 10,000 pharmacies across England.
NHS England said the move was the ‘biggest change to sexual health services’ since the 1960s. It is part of a wider expansion of NHS pharmacy services that will also see medication advice provided for those who are newly prescribed antidepressants.
Medicines for depression have been added to the New NHS Medicine Service in which patients over 18 years can seek advice from their pharmacist on healthy lifestyle changes, support on taking their medication and help to understand their treatment options.
It was already in place for a range of conditions, including asthma, atrial firbrillation, epilepsy, heart failure and diabetes.
Some pharmacies had already been offering an emergency contraception service through locally commissioned schemes.
The national roll out is part of plans for pharmacy to have a bigger role as more care is shifted to the community under the 10 year health plan, the Government said.
It builds on the existing Pharmacy Contraception Service (PCS) where pharmacists have been providing oral contraception and ongoing clinical checks since 2023.
The expansion to include emergency contraception was first revealed as part of the latest pharmacy contract, which set out that pharmacies will be paid £20 per consultation, plus the cost of the medication provided.
Under the change, the oral emergency contraceptive pill will be available for women of childbearing age. If they are under 16 years old, they will be assessed using Fraser Guidelines, NHS England said.
Primary care minister Stephen Kinnock said the changes would remove barriers of access to reproductive care ‘that have let women down for too long’.
He said: ‘These changes will make it easier for people to get the advice and medications they need, while also reducing unnecessary pressure on GPs.
‘This is exactly what our 10 Year Health Plan is about – shifting more care into the community so people can get vital support more quickly and easily.’
Dr Sue Mann, NHS national clinical director in women’s health, said: ‘This is one of the biggest changes to sexual health services since the 1960s and a game-changer in making reproductive healthcare more easily accessible for women.
‘Instead of trying to search for women’s services or explain their needs, from today women can just pop into their local pharmacy and get the oral emergency contraceptive pill free of charge without needing to make an appointment.’
In July, GP practices were asked to review records after pregnant patients at some pharmacies were ‘incorrectly coded’.
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