The Royal Pharmaceutical Society, the Company Chemists’ Association, the National Pharmacy Association and the Faculty of Sexual and Reproductive Healthcare are calling for the next government to commission a national Emergency Hormonal Contraception (EHC) service from community pharmacies in England.

The service would not only transform access to care for women of all ages but directly tackle health inequalities and vastly improve health outcomes.

The current arrangements are inadequate for women:

• There is an incomplete understanding of the availability of free at-the-point access to EHC services
• As services are commissioned by local authorities, they cannot be promoted nationally
• There are currently no national standards to underpin the service
• There are no national training requirements for pharmacists and pharmacy teams

All of these issues could be transformed through the commissioning of a nationwide EHC service, mirroring the successful approaches adopted in Scotland and Wales.

Tase Oputu, Chair of RPS in England said:

“There’s currently huge inequity in access to free emergency contraception due to the variation in services commissioned by the NHS across England.

“Only around half of all community pharmacies are commissioned to provide free emergency contraception, which leads to access by accident, rather than by design.

“All women should have equal, free access to emergency contraception to help prevent unplanned pregnancies, just as they do with other methods of contraception. Amidst the cost of living crisis, having to pay for emergency contraception hits those on low incomes the hardest.

“We’re calling on the NHS to remedy this inconsistency and unfairness by commissioning a service that is applied across the country, removing uncertainty for women and reducing the burden on other healthcare services who are approached for prescriptions for emergency contraception. Women in Scotland and Wales have benefitted from commissioned services through community pharmacy for many years and it’s high time women in England receive the same treatment.

“Community pharmacies have a long track record in providing safe, convenient access to emergency contraception and other contraceptive methods. Providing consistent, standardised access to emergency contraception will significantly benefit women and increase efficiencies across the NHS.”

Read the statement.

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