This is an NHS Service and is FREE of charge to certain patients
If you are not eligible for the free service you can still purchase the tablet after a brief consultation with the pharmacist.
All customers wanting to get the “morning after pill” will be required to talk to the pharmacist in our private consultation room. This is completely confidential and your pharmacist is a medical professional bound by the laws of confidentiality as your doctor is.
There is no need to ask at the counter for the pill, simply ask to speak to the pharmacist in private.
A woman can use emergency contraception to prevent pregnancy after having unprotected sex, or if a method of contraception has failed.
There are two methods of emergency contraception:
- the emergency contraceptive pill (the morning-after pill) – two types exist
- the copper intrauterine device (IUD) (Not available from Pharmacy)
Both of these methods are effective at preventing pregnancy if they are used soon after unprotected sex. However, the IUD is always 99.9% effective, whereas failures after Levonelle are not as rare.
Emergency contraceptive pill
There are two types of emergency contraceptive pill:
- Levonelle is the most commonly used. It can be taken up to three days (72 hours) after having unprotected sex, and is available free of charge on prescription or can be bought from your local pharmacy if you are over 16.
- ellaOne (Only available with a prescription) is a newer type of emergency contraceptive pill that can be taken up to five days (120 hours) after having unprotected sex. It is only available on prescription.
Most women can use the emergency contraceptive pill, including women who are breastfeeding and those who cannot usually use hormonal contraception (such as the combined pill or contraceptive patch).
The emergency contraceptive pill should not be used as a regular method of contraception.
Read More
A great source for futher information on Sexual health, contraception methods and safer sex can be found at http://www.fpa.org.uk/