The morning-after pill is free through the NHS. You can pick up your emergency contraceptive pill from the pharmacy after a short consultation in private with a pharmacist.
If you order it online by 2 pm for next-day delivery by 1 pm, there is a delivery charge of £12.99.
Below are some questions we find are frequently asked about the emergency contraceptive pill. We’ll explain what it does, when to take the morning after pill, and who can buy it.
The morning after pill is an NHS emergency contraception pill that delays or stops ovulation. If you have had sex without using contraception, or, for example, the condom you used split, then the pill will reduce your chances of pregnancy.
No. If you have already ovulated, it won’t have any effect. If you know you have ovulated then you will need to use an alternative form of emergency contraception, which is an IUD (intrauterine device) which is commonly known as the copper coil.
It depends on which morning after pill you take. There are two main types. There is levonorgestrel which has the brand name Levonelle; this should be taken within 72 hours after sex. The second type is ulipristal acetate, sold as ellaOne, which can be taken within 5 days (120 hours) after sex.
If you need to know when to take the morning after pill, it is recommended that you take it as soon as you can with water and make a note of the time. If within 2 hours you are sick (vomiting) you may need to take another dose. Phone the pharmacy for advice if this happens.
It might. Your next period could be early, it might be late, or it won’t change at all. But if your period is more than seven days late, then you might want to do a pregnancy test.
Some people experience:
There are other uncommon side effects which you can read about on the ellaOne and Levonelle patient leaflets.
You don’t need to buy it; you can get it free through the NHS. Here at VSM pharmacy, you can pick it up from the shop, or you can order it online and pay for the next day postage, which is £12.99. You can also get the morning after pill from most GP surgeries, family planning clinics and NHS walk-in centres.
Yes. If you come into the pharmacy, we will take your details and ask you some questions to make sure the emergency contraception is suitable for you to take. We won’t ask you in front of other customers; the consultation is in private.
A common question is “can men buy the morning after pill”? It’s a good question because you might want to send your boyfriend, husband or partner because maybe you’re working or busy with other things and don’t have time to get to the pharmacy.
But while there’s no law stopping a man from buying the morning after pill, the pharmacy needs to make sure that the medication will do its job.
They can only do this by checking if you have any health conditions, if you are taking other medication, whether you are breastfeeding and if you have any allergies. That’s why you need to fill in the online form yourself or speak to the pharmacist.
If you order online by 2 pm Monday to Friday, you’ll get next-day delivery by 1 pm. If you need emergency contraception on a Saturday, you’ll need to come into the shop.
From ear care and travel vaccinations to allergy testing — many treatments are available at VSM Pharmacy without a GP appointment.
There’s no need to panic if you relaise your contraception failed or you’ve had un-protected sex. You can get an emergency morning-after pill from the pharmacy free of charge. Read our latest blog to find out more…
