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........

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