Am I eligible to get the free morning after pill near me?
Depending on the area you live in, selected Day Lewis Pharmacies may be able to offer emergency contraception in the pharmacy, for free, as part of an NHS-funded Emergency Contraception Service.
This free service is available to women, including those under 16. However, if you are under 16, you may need to contact your local GP or sexual health clinic and book an in-person consultation.
Two types of morning after pills are available as part of the NHS Emergency Contraception Service. These are:
- Ulipristal acetate (e.g. ellaOne) – this must be taken within five days or 120 hours after unprotected sex;
- Levonorgestrel (e.g. Levonelle) – this must be taken within three days or 72 hours after unprotected sex.
If you are not eligible for the NHS service, or it is not available in your location, then our Day Lewis pharmacies may be able to offer the morning after pill as a private service.
Either service involves a simple private consultation with you, where you will be asked questions about your health and other medical conditions.
What is the process for getting emergency contraception?
By going to your GP, you may be able to get a free prescription from your local pharmacy. However, to make the process easier, where available, you can also simply go straight to a pharmacy that offers the Emergency Contraception services.
You can book a free contraception appointment at your local Day Lewis Pharmacy. To do this, go to the booking page, put your postcode in to find your nearest pharmacy, and book your appointment. At this stage, you will be asked some questions including:
- Are you female and aged between 16 and under 55 years of age?
- Are you currently being prescribed oral contraception tablets?
- Are you taking your oral contraception tablets regularly as prescribed with no disruption in treatment?
These are asked to assess your current situation so your pharmacist can help you best. If you are under 16, you may still be eligible – you just need to go to the pharmacy in person for a consultation rather than via phone or video call.
Once you have answered these questions, select the date and time that works best for you. Typically, appointments are available within a few hours on the same day so you likely won’t have to book very far in advance.
Your consultation with the pharmacist will be completely confidential and non-judgmental. They will ask you for some information so they can decide which emergency contraception option is best for you. This will likely include:
- When your last period was and how long they usually last
- When you last had unprotected sex
- What kind of contraception you currently use
- Whether you’ve had any emergency contraception recently.
Once your pharmacist has the information needed, they will discuss your options with you. This could be one of the two types of morning after pill which they can give you there and then, or, if more appropriate, refer you to your GP or local sexual health clinic for an IUD.
Where else can I get free emergency contraception near me?
As well as from your local pharmacy, there are several other places you can find emergency contraception, including the IUD and morning after pill, near you. These include:
- Your GP surgery
- Most sexual health clinics (also known as family planning or contraception clinics)
- Some NHS walk-in centres
- Some young people’s services (for more information on this, you can call the National Sexual Health Helpline on 0300 123 7123).
You can also get free emergency contraception through the NHS service online, depending on where in the country you are based. This includes from an online pharmacy, a GP after an online consultation or a local online service.
If you need emergency contraception or would like to talk to someone in confidence about any sexual health concerns, please get in touch or visit your local Day Lewis pharmacy today.
