Ireland: EC pills to be provided free of cost without prescription at the pharmacy, to medical card holders
February 2019. In December 2018 the Sexual Health and Crisis Pregnancy Programme (SHCPP) of the Irish Health Service (HSE), launched a national campaign in partnership with the Irish Pharmacy Union (IPU), with the aim to increase public awareness that EC is available to women directly from a pharmacist up to five days (and not only ” the morning after”) following unprotected sex.
According to the Irish Ministry of Health, Simon Harris, ” women with medical cards can now get the EHC pill free-of-charge directly from a pharmacist without the need for a prescription from their GP. This is an important public health measure and will remove any barrier to women getting timely treatment from their local pharmacy.”
