Women can now access the oral emergency contraception pill, known as the morning after pill, free from pharmacies. The major change is part of an NHS expansion of services at almost 10,000 community pharmacies in England. Patients starting anti-depressants can also now access advice and support about their medication and healthy lifestyle changes.
Dr Sue Mann, 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.
"Community pharmacists and their teams are trusted professionals who women will be able to speak to confidentially and address any concerns they may have."
The morning-after pill is available to women of childbearing age, the NHS said. Teenagers under 16 will be assessed using Fraser guidelines, which help medics assess whether someone is capable of making decisions about their contraception and sexual health.
NHS England said pharmacies were at the heart of local healthcare and are playing a growing role as the service tries to shift more care away from hospitals into the community.
Other recent changes mean pharmacies can now supply prescription-only medicines for seven common conditions including sinusitis, sore throat and ear ache.
Janet Morrison, chief executive of Community Pharmacy England, said: "Providing emergency contraception through community pharmacies is a fantastic move for widening access and convenience for patients across the country.
"Allowing regular supply of oral contraception from pharmacies has been well received, so building on this to now include emergency contraception is a natural step.
"Many pharmacies have been involved in similar local schemes for years, so we're pleased to see this important new service introduce a consistent offer to women nationally."
You may also like
Valkyrae reacts to being called “the female Hasan,” says the comparison “hurts”
Slap treason case in 'anthem' row, orders Assam CM; Nothing wrong in singing Tagore song, says Congress
For Maharashtra civic polls, SEC seeks EC nod for 'supplementary' voters list
Ryanair passenger chaos feared as airline makes major change from Monday
Indian American groups condemn Zohran Mamdani's 'Hinduphobic' remarks as acts of bigotry and bias
