Hundreds of thousands of women get morning-after pill via free pharmacy service
Wednesday 29th July 2026
Hundreds of thousands of women have used a new, free morning-after pill service at high street pharmacies in England, figures reveal.
The scheme launched in October to improve access and save women from having to book a GP or sexual health clinic appointment.
New NHS figures show that almost 305,000 doses were given out at pharmacies between October 2025 and March 2026.
Meanwhile, the number of women asking pharmacists about going on the regular oral contraceptive pill more than doubled, from around 50,000 to more than 115,000 in the 12 months to February 2026.