‘Huge win for women and girls’ as first contraceptive pills licensed for sale without prescription
Women will be able to access some types of contraceptive pills in pharmacies without a prescription for the first time in the UK.
The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) announced on Thursday that it has reclassified Lovima and Hana, two 75 microgram progesterone-only contraceptives.
This means women will be able to access the pills over the counter after a consultation with a pharmacist, rather than via a GP appointment.
The MHRA has reclassified two desogestrel oral contraceptive products.
— MHRAgovuk (@MHRAgovuk) July 8, 2021
This is the first time women will now be able to buy progesterone-only oral contraceptive pills without prescription in the UK.
Find out more: https://t.co/LKz8qKCPTD pic.twitter.com/aU1S6Vwn4I
Dr Edward Morris, president of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG), described this as a “huge win for women and girls”.
He said: “We are delighted that all those who need the progestogen-only oral contraceptive pill (POP) can now go into their local pharmacy and access it without needing a prescription.
“This announcement is a huge win for women and girls who will no longer face unnecessary barriers when accessing this type of contraception.”
He added that even before the pandemic, many women were struggling to access basic feminine health services, resulting in an increased number of unplanned pregnancies.
Michelle Riddalls, chief executive of consumer healthcare association PAGB, described the decision as “an historic milestone for women”.
This is a huge win for women and girls who will no longer face unnecessary barriers when accessing this type of contraception. To read our joint response with @FSRH_UK visit: https://t.co/8aigvGIA0E https://t.co/wpQM3tqjCj
— RoyalCollegeObsGyn (@RCObsGyn) July 8, 2021
She said: “We warmly welcome this decision by the MHRA.
“Making these progestogen-only contraceptive pills available without prescription in the UK is an historic milestone for women and women’s health.
“This is the first time that any form of daily contraceptive pill has been licensed for over-the-counter sale in the UK, 60 years after the pill was originally offered by the NHS – initially to married women only.”
The progesterone-only pills contain desogestrel and can be taken safely by women who cannot use the standard contraceptive pill which contains oestrogen.
The reclassification means women will not need to make appointments with their GP to access the contraception, although they will still be available via this route and via sexual health clinics.
We welcome today's move by the MHRA to allow progestogen-only contraceptive pills to be provided direct from pharmacies for the first time without the need for a prescription.
— Royal Pharmaceutical Society (@rpharms) July 8, 2021
Read more here: https://t.co/F7jk9L1dwq#RPSNews #POMtoP pic.twitter.com/V5Jamd3H3g
Dr June Raine CBE, chief executive of the MHRA, said: “Pharmacists have the expertise to advise women on whether desogestrel is an appropriate and safe oral contraceptive pill for them to use and to give women the information they need, to make informed choices.
“We have consulted a wide range of people to enable us to reach the decision to make this contraceptive available for the first time in the UK without prescription.
“We received many responses to our consultation, the majority of which supported this approach.”
The MHRA’s decision to reclassify the products also follows a safety review by the Commission on Human Medicines (CHM).
Robbie Turner, Royal Pharmaceutical Society director of pharmacy, said the move was a “positive step” and that women would be able to access expert advice from pharmacies.
