To think this is not an acceptable attitude from Boots?

[pointythings]

So apparently they won't lower the price of emergency contraception (Tesco and Superdrug have done so) because they get complaints from people who are opposed to it and because lowering the price might make women 'use it inappropriately.

link here

Of course businesses are allowed to make their own policy choices, but this is blatant misogyny. So they won't be getting any more of my money.

Haven't RFT but I'll be boycotting Boots & have told them so.

This story is now hitting more of the national media, so let's hope Boots will cave.

Boots got caught out screwing over the NHS by charging for unnecessary pharmacy appointments: 36 quid claimed for each pharmacy review.
Some of their pharmacists whistle blew.
Since they were taken over by walmart they have behaved in a shocking manner so this is no surprise.

Hey Boots, you have just been boycotted in my house. Fuck me that's horrible.

I hope they have some decent pharmacists letting people know to go elsewhere. What if a young woman can't afford it? Abortions are much more favourable I'm sure?

The only thing that boots cares about is profit.
I think most CCGs now fund free access to the MAP from pharmacies, but it depends on whether the pharmacist on duty has done the relevant training or not.

Don't the sexual health clinics give the morning after pill for free too?

OK, I'm pro life. I choose not to artificially contracept, I'm not pleased that women still have it so bad that abortion is only choice. But I think I'm for artificial contraception being available, because it suits people who have a different lifestyle to my own. There is no reason why the MAP should be sold at a higher price in the UK than anywhere else, and I highly doubt anyone is using it irresponsibly. Because it costs so much, and it's far cheaper to contracept in other ways. Plus, who wants the effort of going to the chemist the morning after?

I am a bit suspicious about these letters from fellow "pro-lifers". Because we're an easy group to blame, Boots could just be saying that as it's an excuse to increase their profits. Boots are a private company, not a public service. I doubt that the few pro-life letters they might receive have any impact at all.

“In our experience the subject of EHC [emergency hormonal contraception] polarises public opinion and we receive frequent contact from individuals who voice their disapproval of the fact that the company chooses to provide this service. We would not want to be accused of incentivising inappropriate use, and provoking complaints, by significantly reducing the price of this product.”

I suspect it's more about their profits than anything else.

They sell vibrators, lube, condoms, cock rings etc. .... but they suddenly get all hand-wringing about the MAP?! Ffs... do they think we're stupid

Have commebtes on their Facebook. Whole page is full of it, no replies from Boots

Ffs, there are so many products in a pharmacy that could be seriously misused.

I hope more pharmacies are keeping it in stock now. When I needed it a few years ago due to a broken condom the GP had no emergency appointments left and the local family planning clinic only sees teenagers outside of office hours, so I spent an entire afternoon and evening visiting about eight different pharmacies in a major city (only one of which was an independent) and none of them except Boots had it in stock when I arrived. There are a lot of rural towns that only have one pharmacy, too. If Boots have a monopoly on the only available supply then they can exploit customers and charge whatever they like.

Anyway, at the time Boots told me that their pharmacist was too busy to talk to me so they wouldn't help me. I ended up having to travel about two hours by public transport to a hospital in another town to go to their walk-in centre and didn't get home until about 3AM on a work night.

There needs to be easier and cheaper access to the MAP. It's totally ridiculous that I spent a good 9-10 hours traipsing around trying to get it. I was honestly on the verge of giving up and hoping for the best.

I had to go and get the MAP about 10 years ago. It cost £25, I was between jobs at the time and living on savings, so it was a huge amount to stump up. The box I got had Italian packaging and had been relabelled for the UK market. I could see under the label the Italian price which was about €8. How come in a traditional, much more religious country like Italy, the MAP is available at a much more sensible price than supposedly liberal Britain? We seem to have a very underlying skewed attitude to sex and views about women, as the patronising and paternalistic stance shown by Boots illustrates

I hate Boots anyway - one of the pharmacists gave me totally wrong advice on how to deal with a nasty scald, and their shelves are often sparsely filled or even empty. I far prefer Superdrug, and find their own-brand products are usually better - but there's only Boots in our town so I have been using it. I'll definitely pop in somewhere else in future though - this is the last straw.

Don't the sexual health clinics give the morning after pill for free too?

Sure - providing you can get to one. Where we are its open three afternoons and two mornings a week.

We only have the option of a Boots 😡

Since they were taken over by walmart they have behaved in a shocking manner so this is no surprise.

Wrong company. Walgreens bought Boots, they own CVS stores. Walmart are the ones that bought Asda.

I'm lucky to live where I can access both and I am more than happy to boycott Boots on this. It's outrageous! The MAP should ve easily available because accidents happen. Even to the most sensible people. I've taken my most responsible friend to take it before. A condom came off. She was playing it safe.

Then again, I already refuse to buy condoms or pregnancy tests from them after the sales assistant in the branch where I was at uni a) audibly tutted at me buying a pregnancy test (condom broke, was just being sure) b) loudly announced to the rest of Boots that they had 2 for x-amount on 12 packs of Durex, did I want a second box? I was 18 and too shy mortified and nice to call her out back then. Separate occasions and not related to the thread but adds to my overall shite opinion of Boots family planning...

I want Boots to explain how one uses it "inappropriately". The MAP only has one function. If you are using it to prevent an inconvenient potential pregnancy, then that's the appropriate use of it surely. Wankers.

I haven't shipped in Boots for ages because it's so expensive.
What i want to ask is this. Presumably inappropriate use means in place of contraception, women taking it instead of having safe sex. Who on earth thinks that woman should be forced to be a mother? Assuming that they have a chaotic life and make poor choices. I say that as someone who has used the map.
Also why not free emergency appointments at gps!

Completely disgusting, nasty, sexist, hateful behaviour from boots.

Some anonymous 'individuals' don't like that boots provide this service. How about the individuals don't shop in boots then?

Nope.

Because it's not individuals, it's shareholders, or management, or someone high up. And if boots charge more, they make more profit.

Well they've just lost any profit they'll make from me. Like other posters, I'll be using up my points and then shopping elsewhere, until they realise that our right to use the MAP is not for boots to decide.

And actually, what they're saying is that boots don't want poorer women to use the MAP. So they're discriminating not only against women, but against poorer families, who aren't going to get any richer when there's a traumatic termination (because they are always traumatic, boots you total arseholes) or another baby to deal with.

boots you utter shites

Politicians are now asking Boots about this , the pressure is building...

Sea Don't tar all Boots pharmacists with the same brush. Some of the good advice you recieved on that thread was from a Boots pharmacist. Lumping them all in one bad basket because you came across one bad one is ridiculous.

In some parts of the country it is free. From Boots or anywhere. As pp have already stated.

I've just complained. I think it's disgusting. I could accept it for profit reasons, but it is just misogynistic and sexist.

This is shameful behaviour from Boots. Their website states that their vision is:

"To be the first choice for pharmacy, health and beauty - caring for people, customers and communities everywhere"

Shame they are not more open about the fact that they absolutely do feel it's also their place to judge the sexual behaviour of women, based on letters they have received from narrow minded equally judgemental holier than thou twats, demonstrating that the company must lack the basic empathy required to even talk about 'caring for people, customers and communities everywhere'.

Ugh, another one, hyprocrites:

"We inspire our customers and patients to feel in control of their health"

Except if they are women and we disagree with their (perfectly legal and to most people also perfectly morally acceptable) choices.

Who the f* do they think they are, trying to influence decisions people make about their own health based on their backward ideology. Drs would be in trouble for that.

If they want to use price to discourage 'irresponsible' behaviour (which is often not even the reason for EHC), they should take a look at their whole product range and just see how ridiculous they are being.

Thing is, even if someone was taking the MAP 'inappropriately' - the only person they're hurting is themselves, it really is no one else's business.

I doubt many women actually use the MAP as a form of contraception over other methods anyway. Surely it's much easier, less time consuming and cheaper to just get the pill rather than traipsing back and forth to the chemist all the time.

Do people at Boots really think the majority of us women are that thick that we would think using the MAP is a better option than actual contraceptives?

Enid you are right, I am sure, they aren't all like her, but she gave me the entirely wrong advice about what to do.

There had also been a bit of publicity about the pressures that Boots pharmacists were under to bump up the profits in various ways, so maybe that's why she recommended I buy the wrong (expensive) dressing too.

Anyway there are other chemists around so I'll just shop there, and leave them to rip off their (few?) remaining customers.