Ms Kathy Maher:

I refer back to the World Health Organization’s statement in 2019 that contraception is such a safe and effective medicine, with hormonal contraception around for more than 50 years, that it should be available to all women without the need for prescription. It is very safe and effective healthcare intervention. Since 2011 we have been delivering emergency hormonal contraception without prescription to the women of Ireland. At that point there may have been some fear that perhaps use would increase. That has been shown not to be the case. It is provided in a very safe and effective way using a structure protocol. Similarly, we had envisaged with emergency contraception, we can very often have the consultation to decide that is not an appropriate medicine for that woman and we refer her on to her GP or hospital where necessary. We see the same with contraception. Pharmacists are the medicines experts. This is our skill set. That is where we would see our role. Working with the National Women’s Council of Ireland, we know that the women of Ireland, and similarly across the world, have asked for this access.

The financial barrier is not always the greatest one. It is access to end services. Even in my practice, I see younger women, and even older women, who have had to take time off work and arrange childcare to try to access general practice and be able to have that consultation, when they can come into me perhaps on their way home from work, at weekends or on a late night. This is very easily done. To answer the Deputy's question, I do not see any downside. I think this is a very safe and effective healthcare intervention that we can give to the women of Ireland.