Women will now be able to access the morning after pill for free as the NHS make it available at local pharmacies – and it’s a big win for women who may not have been able to afford it previously
It’s a big win for women in England as emergency contraception is finally going to be free of charge from local pharmacies. Prior to this change, women would need to visit their GP or sexual health clinic to get the morning after pill for free, or paying up to £30 for it from a pharmacy.
Health Minister Stephen Kinnock said many people have had limited access to effective contraception due to an “unfair postcode lottery.” Now thanks to this landmark move, all women can receive the same healthcare – regardless of where they live or their financial situation.
Dr Sue Mann, NHS’s National Clinical Director for women’s health said the expansion was “one of the biggest changes to sexual health services since the 1960s.” Dr Mann added that the change is “a gamechanger in making reproductive healthcare more easily accessible for women”.
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The UK now joins many other countries who are already offering it for free, including France, where it’s free for all women under 26, Finland, Germany, Italy and Luxembourg.
Dr Mann added: “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.”
The Minister for Care Stephen Kinnock said: “This is a major step forward that removes barriers of access to reproductive care that have let women down for too long. Pharmacies play a central role in communities, trusted by local people and easy to access. That’s why it’s vital there are a wide range of services and medications available.”
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In The US, it’s increasingly difficult for women to access reproductive healthcare, with abortion being banned in 11 states and a number of other states enforcing extremely restrictive policies regarding at what point in the gestation period an abortion is permitted.
Henry Gregg, the Chief Executive of the National Pharmacy Association, which represents about 6,000 independent pharmacies across the UK, said: “We’ve long called for the national commissioning of emergency contraception so this is good news for patients and pharmacies alike that this is launching today.
“For too long, access to free emergency contraception has been a postcode lottery for patients, with local arrangements only existing in certain parts of the country. It’s really important that pharmacies, who are under significant pressure and closing in record numbers, are sustainably funded so they can continue to provide services to patients such as these.”
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