Pharmacists push to provide free contraceptive scheme in Ireland

Irish Times (Apr. 10, 2018): Pharmacists push to provide free contraceptive scheme, by Pat Leahy & Priscilla Lynch:

Pharmacists in Ireland are seeking to deliver an Irish state-funded free contraception service to women, including supplying contraceptive pills without prescription. The proposal by the Irish Pharmacy Union (IPU) has been made to the Department of Health.

 

The contraceptive pill, patches and rings would be made available without prescription and without charge, regardless of eligibility under the proposal, which would represent a major change to the current situation where women need prescriptions for these products. The IPU’s proposal states that pharmacists could directly provide women with oral hormonal contraception pills, patches, rings and injections. All these items currently require a prescription but could be reclassified to be directly dispensed by pharmacists, under set circumstances.

Ireland's Minister for Health Simon Harris has already established a women’s sexual health group in his department to formulate proposals on a program of free contraception for women.

The Irish government intends to implement a plan for a “massive increase in the availability of contraceptives – condoms basically”. However, changes to the way that oral contraceptive pills are provided to women would require legislation.

Pharmacists have directly provided the morning-after pill without the need for a prescription since 2011 – a move that was strongly opposed by general practitioners (GPs) in Ireland at the time. It is expected that the new IPU proposals will face similar strong resistance in the GP community.