Pharmacy Contraception Service
The Pharmacy Contraception Service has been expanded from 1 December 2023 – please see the updated specification and Patient Group Directions (PGDs)
The expanded service will enable pharmacists to initiate oral contraception, as well as continuing to provide ongoing management of oral contraception that was initiated in general practice or a sexual health clinic (or equivalent).
Pharmacy owners will need to provide both elements of the service.
Community pharmacies providing the Pharmacy Contraception Service are mapped here (updated 22 August 2024)
Find a pharmacy that offers the contraception pill without a prescription
The FSRH UK Medical Eligibility Criteria for Contraceptive Use (UKMEC) calculator may support pharmacists in making a clinical decision on the most appropriate choice of contraceptive. The UKMEC helps clinicians decide what contraceptives they can safely recommend based on the medical conditions of patients in their care.
For more information, webinars and resources on the Pharmacy Contraception Service please visit the CPE website.
Q. If an individual has had a gap in their OC cycle, can we still make a supply of their original prescription as part of this service?
Yes. As the service now includes initiation of OC, people who have had a gap (of any duration in length) in their OC cycle, can be re-initiated on their original contraceptive as part of this service.
Q. Do I have to supply the same brand of OC as the person had in their initial supply?
No. It is recommended that repeat supplies should be made in line with the person’s previous supply, e.g. in the instance that a branded product has been supplied for clinical reasons such as an allergy to product constituents. However, if there are supply issues with the original brand, the repeat supply can be made from an equivalent brand/generic equivalent of OC. Pharmacy owners should follow any medicines formulary requirements of their local integrated care board.
Q. Do I need to undertake blood pressure and body mass index (BMI) checks for all consultations?
No. BMI and blood pressure measurements are only required for initiation and ongoing repeat supplies for combined oral hormonal contraception which is in line with NICE guideline 136.
Q. Do pharmacists have to undertake blood pressure, weight and height measurements and/or BMI calculations or can another pharmacy team member perform these?
Where BMI and blood pressure measurements are performed within the pharmacy, these can be conducted by the pharmacist as part of the consultation or by suitably trained and competent pharmacy staff in advance of the pharmacist consultation.
Q. Can we supply an oral contraceptive if the individual is not using it for contraceptive purposes, e.g. if they are taking it to regulate their periods, or for acne?
No. The service is a contraception service and the inclusion criteria for the service do not include other uses such as the management of bleeding, management of acne etc. The PGDs can only be used to provide supplies to individuals wishing to obtain an oral contraceptive for contraception purposes. Individuals seeking oral contraceptives for other conditions, should be referred to their general practice.
Visit the Pharmacy Contraception Service Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) page for FAQs on the service requirements.
Pharmacy Contraception Service webinar 29 February 2024
Pharmacy Contraception Service webinar – presentation slides
NCS Sexual Health Services webinar – presentation slides for Ruth Dean, Public Health
Please visit the CPE website and check their resources section for all marketing material for the service.
The attached marketing materials are now available to use to promote the Advanced Pharmacy Contraception Service. These will need to be printed locally:
- NHS Pharmacy Contraception Service_A3_poster_DIGITAL
- NHS Pharmacy Contraception Service_A3_poster_final.
- ADD_13524_NHS Pharmacy Contraception Service_business_cards
Contraception Management – translated marketing material
A selection of translated marketing materials has been provided to support the Community Pharmacy Contraception Management Advanced Service Tier 1.
The information within these are the same as the current material that is available and includes posters and business cards that have been translated into the following languages:
- Bengali
- Urdu
- Polish
- Punjabi
- NHS Pharmacy Contraception Service _business_cards_v1_DIGITAL_PL.AC
- NHS Pharmacy Contraception Service _business_cards_v1_DIGITAL_Urdu.AC
- NHS Pharmacy Contraception Service_A3_poster_DIGITAL_BN.AC
- NHS Pharmacy Contraception Service_A3_poster_DIGITAL_PL.AC
- NHS Pharmacy Contraception Service_A3_poster_DIGITAL_PUN.AC
- NHS Pharmacy Contraception Service_A3_poster_DIGITAL_Urdu.AC
- NHS Pharmacy Contraception Service_business_cards_v1_DIGITAL_BN.AC
- NHS Pharmacy Contraception Service_business_cards_v1_DIGITAL_PUN.AC
