Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the level of confidentiality in pharmacies for women who request emergency contraception.

It is a legal requirement that pharmacy (P) medicines, which include emergency hormonal contraception (EHC) products, can only be sold or supplied, or offered for sale or supply, from a registered pharmacy. The sale or supply must be undertaken by, or under the supervision of, a pharmacist. Information on the number of pharmacies in England that are unable to provide EHC in a confidential and a COVID-19 secure way is not collected centrally.

No assessment has been made centrally of the level of confidentiality in pharmacies for women who request EHC. However, most pharmacies now have a private consultation room where discussions with pharmacy staff can take place without being overheard. The Government has no specific plans to reclassify emergency contraceptive pills as a general sales list medication. Emergency contraceptive pills are currently available without prescription from pharmacies. Any applications to make them available on general sale from other retail outlets would be considered in accordance with the Government’s usual procedures by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency.