Almost 305,000 doses were provided free of charge in England’s high street pharmacies in the first five months of the new contraception service
Almost 305,000 doses of the morning-after pill were provided free of charge in England’s high street pharmacies in the first five months of the new contraception service, according to new NHS data (October 2025 to March 2026). This figure marks one of the biggest changes in access to emergency contraception in decades, putting a free morning-after pill within easier reach of millions of women.
The change is straightforward: women can now walk into most high street pharmacies and get the morning-after pill free of charge after a short, private consultation with a pharmacist or trained pharmacy technician. It removes the need to book a GP appointment, visit a sexual health clinic or wait for an appointment.
Under the new NHS Pharmacy Contraception Service, women will first be asked about their health, when they had unprotected sex and whether there are any concerns about safety or wellbeing. If the medicine is suitable, women receive it immediately.
Pharmacy teams can also discuss longer-term contraception, such as starting or continuing the regular oral contraceptive pill. Since early 2024, pharmacies have delivered over 1 million consultations for women continuing their pill and 192,000 consultations for women starting it.
Emergency contraception works best the sooner it is taken. The morning-after pill can prevent pregnancy after unprotected sex or contraceptive failure by delaying ovulation, meaning sperm cannot meet an egg.
It does not end an existing pregnancy. Two types are available in the UK. Levonorgestrel, often known by brand names such as Levonelle, is effective up to 72 hours after unprotected sex. Ulipristal acetate, sold as ellaOne, can be taken up to 120 hours after unprotected sex.
A copper intrauterine device (IUD) is another emergency option, effective up to five days after unprotected sex. Although this remains the most effective form of emergency contraception, it must be fitted at a clinic rather than a pharmacy.
Emergency contraception has been available in UK pharmacies for more than 20 years, becoming available to buy over the counter in 2001. For many years, some pharmacies also offered free supply through local schemes, meaning women in certain areas could already access it without paying.
What is new is that free supply is now a national NHS service. This means access is more consistent and no longer depends on where you live. Previously, women faced what the government described as a postcode lottery, with some areas offering free emergency contraception and others charging around £25 to £35 per dose.
Emergency contraception is safe for most women. Common side-effects include nausea, headache and mild abdominal pain. These usually pass quickly. There might also be changes to your next menstrual period.
Dipa Kamdar is an Associate Professor in Pharmacy Practice at Kingston University.
This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons licence. Read the original article.