Women are to be given the contraceptive Pill by pharmacists without the need for a GP prescription for the first time, it has been revealed.
Pilot sites are being set up in areas of London with the highest teenage pregnancy rates to see if the programme is feasible before being rolled out nationally.
Ministers said the aim is to increase access to contraception and reduce the number of unintended pregnancies although critics were concerned that relying on the Pill does not protect against sexually transmitted infections which are at epidemic proportions.
Women will not be able to buy the Pill off the shelf like paracetamol but will have to go through a face to face consultation with a suitably qualified pharmacist before being issued with the hormonal contraceptives.
Currently women have a prescription written by a GP or family planning doctor who takes blood pressure and a medical history and then a pharmacist dispenses the tablets.
