About the NHS Pharmacy Contraception Service
The NHS Pharmacy Contraception Service is designed to:
- Allow community pharmacists to continue the provision of ongoing Oral Contraceptive (OC) supplies to patients who have previously been initiated the ‘pill’ in primary care. It may have been initiated by a GP or another pharmacy, or by a sexual health clinic or equivalent. This element of the service has been established for some time and has been well received by patients.
- Allow community pharmacists to appropriately initiate the supply of the oral contraceptive pill to patients who have not been on the pill before, or, to patients who wish to go back on the pill, having had a break from the pill for some time. This new element of the service builds upon the success of the ongoing supply service and was launched on 1st December 2023.
- Both ongoing and the initiation of supplies of the OC are facilitated by NHS Patient Group Directions (PGDs) which support the review and supply process.
It is envisaged that the NHS Pharmacy Contraception Service will become established as an integrated option for patients in the current mix of women’s health services, thus offering greater choice and access for patients.