Contraception available without seeing a GP from next month
The move plans to give people easier access to the pill
Millions of women will be able to get free contraceptive pills on the high street without having to see a GP under new NHS plans.
Starting next month, women in England can obtain a first prescription of the pill by visiting their local pharmacy. The move will give women greater choice over where to get the pill and will free up appointments in GP surgeries.
If women opt for the combined oestrogen and progestogen pill, they will have a check-up with a pharmacist to record their blood pressure and weight. No checks are needed for the mini-pill (progestogen-only), which is also the case in other settings, NHS England said.
Pharmacies need to sign up for the new service, meaning it will not be available immediately everywhere in England. As more pharmacies join the scheme, the nhs.uk web page will be updated so women can check which locations offer the service.
Prescription figures for 2022/23 suggest there were almost 3 million prescriptions for the combined pill and more than 4 million for the mini pill.
NHS England said it expects almost half a million women to be able to access the pill next year without needing to contact their GP first, with the figure rising after that.
Funding has also been put in place so more pharmacies can offer repeat prescriptions of all types of pill.
NHS chief executive, Amanda Pritchard, said:
"This is really good news for women - we all lead increasingly busy lives, and thanks to this action, rather than making a GP appointment, they can simply pop into their local pharmacy when they need or want to access contraception.
"We will also be expanding services so that more health checks are available for patients on the high street, which is not only better and easier for patients but also frees up NHS time for more GP appointments for those who need them most."
Under wider plans, pharmacists will be offering more blood pressure checks to at-risk patients, with a commitment to deliver 2.5 million a year by spring 2025.
NHS England estimates this could prevent more than 1,350 heart attacks and strokes in the first year.
Victoria Atkins, health and social care secretary, said:
"It is a pleasure to start my time as Secretary of State with such a positive example of the Government, NHS and pharmacy sector working together to reach an agreement to improve services and save lives.
"For the public, these changes will mean more options for women when making a choice about their preferred contraception, reduce the risks of people suffering heart attacks and strokes and make it easier to access medicines for common conditions.
"And for healthcare professionals, this will free up GP appointments and make better use of the skills and expertise within community pharmacies."