The “morning-after” capsule, a type of emergency contraception, will probably be made accessible over-the-counter at no cost in pharmacies in England this yr, the UK authorities mentioned on Sunday.
At present, ladies can get the capsule at no cost from sexual well being clinics run by the Nationwide Well being Service (NHS) and most GP surgical procedures.
However it could actually value as much as £30 (R715) to get the emergency contraceptive over-the-counter at pharmacies.
Free at pharmacies
Beginning later this yr, the capsule will probably be accessible at no cost at pharmacies, aiming to “cut back inequalities”, in line with a Division of Well being and Social Care (DHSC) assertion.
The transfer may even assist liberate GPs by lowering the necessity for ladies to make appointments to entry the capsule, the DHSC mentioned.
“Equal entry to secure and efficient contraception is essential to ladies’s healthcare and a cornerstone of a good society,” Well being Minister Stephen Kinnock mentioned.
“Ladies throughout England face an unfair postcode lottery when searching for emergency contraception, with entry various dramatically relying on the place they reside,” Kinnock added.
The federal government will announce extra particulars on Monday as a part of a “bundle of funding and reform” for neighborhood and retail pharmacies.
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By Garrin Lambley © Agence France-Presse