The IPU has welcomed the publication of the Health (Provision of Contraception Prescribing Service in Retail Pharmacy Businesses) Bill 2026, which will, if formally approved, allow pharmacists to continue an existing prescription for contraception for eligible patients for short-acting reversible contraception such as the oral contraceptive pill, transdermal patch and vaginal ring. The measure, which is strongly supported by the Minister for Health and the National Women’s Council of Ireland, is an important development for the accessibility of women’s healthcare and a positive step towards expanding primary care services in pharmacies.
The IPU has long advocated for the expansion of access to oral contraception to make it available to women direct from pharmacies. Pharmacists are medicines experts and already have extensive experience supporting women’s health. Pharmacists have been providing emergency contraception (the morning after pill) for over a decade.
IPU spokesperson Kathy Maher said: “This is a very positive development for women and one that the IPU has been calling for over many years. Community pharmacists are highly trained medicines experts and are ideally placed to provide this service safely and effectively.”
Ms Maher added: “Pharmacists have a proven track record in delivering reproductive healthcare services and improving access to care. Allowing women to access ongoing contraception directly from a community pharmacist, following a structured consultation and adherence to clinical guidelines, will make services more convenient, reduce unnecessary barriers and help ensure continuity of care.”
The said it IPU looks forward to engaging with the HSE and other stakeholders to support the implementation of the service as quickly as possible and to ensure women can begin benefiting from improved access to contraception at the earliest opportunity.
