First progesterone-only OC pills switch from Rx to Pharmacy-only in UK

8 July 2021

For the first time women will now be able to buy progesterone-only oral contraceptive (OC) pills without prescription in the UK, increasing choice for women in the ways in which they can access contraception, the UK’s Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) announced today.

Dr June Raine, chief executive of the MHRA, said: “This is good news for women and families. Pharmacists have the expertise to advise women on whether desogestrel is an appropriate and safe oral contraceptive pill for them to use and to give women the information they need, to make informed choices. We have consulted a wide range of people to enable us to reach the decision to make this contraceptive available for the first time in the UK without prescription. We received many responses to our consultation, the majority of which supported this approach.

Lovima and Hana brands expected to be first to launch

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