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Get the pill quickly and confidentially at your local pharmacy

Accessing oral contraception is now quicker, easier, and more convenient than ever.

Thanks to the NHS community pharmacy oral contraception service, you can now get the contraceptive pill for free, directly from your local pharmacy, without needing a prescription or an appointment with your GP. Whether you’re starting contraception for the first time or need a repeat supply, your local pharmacist is here to help.

The service is delivered by trained pharmacists in a private consultation room. Everything you discuss is confidential, and your pharmacist will talk through your options and check your health to make sure the pill is right for you.

Ask about oral contraception at your local pharmacy.

Find a Pharmacy here: bit.ly/OC_Pharmacy_ICB

Safety and confidentiality

  • Trained professionals: All pharmacists delivering this service are trained to provide safe, confidential, and age-appropriate contraceptive care. They follow national clinical protocols and safeguarding procedures.
  • Private consultations: Everyone accessing the service will have a private consultation with a pharmacist. This ensures they have the opportunity to ask questions, discuss their options, and receive personalised advice in a safe and confidential setting.
  • Clinical checks and suitability: Pharmacists will carry out a clinical assessment to determine whether oral contraception is appropriate. If it is not suitable, whether due to medical, emotional, or safeguarding concerns, the pharmacist will not supply it and will signpost to the most appropriate service.
  • Confidentiality: Consultations are confidential. Pharmacists will not share information with schools, parents, or GPs without the  person’s consent, unless there is a safeguarding concern that requires escalation.
  • Safeguarding: If a pharmacist has any concerns about a person’s safety or wellbeing, they will follow established safeguarding protocols and involve the appropriate services. All Pharmacists are required to do safeguarding level 3 training.

This service is part of the NHS’s commitment to making contraception more accessible while ensuring people are supported, informed, and protected. You can read the full service specification on the NHS England website.