The morning-after pill, known as emergency contraception, external, is medication designed to prevent unwanted pregnancies. It usually has to be taken within three to five days of having unprotected sex. The sooner it is taken, the more effective it is.
It works by delaying or preventing the release of an egg, but will only prevent pregnancy if ovulation has not already happened.
Alternatively, women can visit a doctor or nurse to have a coil or intrauterine device (IUD) fitted to prevent pregnancy at any time during their menstrual cycle. To be effective, it needs to be fitted within 120 hours or five days of unprotected sex.
The government said making the morning-after pill available free from pharmacies would end the “unfair” barriers and postcode lottery some women faced – with access varying dramatically depending on where they live.
Under the scheme, women can visit their local pharmacy and have a confidential consultation with a pharmacist or trained pharmacy technician, before receiving the medication on the same day.
Prior to this, women had to book an appointment with their GP, sexual health clinic or pharmacy to get the morning-after pill. Women could also access it privately, as they still can now.
In 2024/25, there were around 150,000 NHS prescriptions for the morning-after pill – far fewer than under the new service.
Dr Sue Mann, NHS National Clinical Director for Women’s Health, said the pharmacy service was a “major step forward for women’s health”, with “no appointment, no waiting and no judgement”.
“This service is already making a real impact, particularly for women living in more deprived communities, by making contraception easier to access closer to home,” she added.
Women can check online, external to find their nearest participating pharmacy. All pharmacists and pharmacy technicians delivering the service have received specialist training to provide emergency contraception and wider contraceptive care.