£26 for the morning-after pill. WTF is that all about?

[ChocolateMoose]

Is it just me who sees that as a deliberate decision to make 'irresponsible' women to pay for contraceptive failures or mistakes? What about those who can't afford to have another baby, but for whom that money was going to pay for food and heating?

Now adding righteous indignation on top of my previous grumpiness at having to go and get the damn thing in the first place.

I think you can get it free in a pharmacy if it's a pharmacy which has one of the pharmacists which are allowed to prescribe certain drugs. Or does it very by area?

I've definitely got it free from a pharmacy before anyway.

Are there not other "over the counter" medicines which could be priced much higher as well though?

It's only been available to buy in a chemist quite recently though hasn't it? I've taken it 3 times, all before you could buy it and had to go via the gp.

the wholesale/rrp costs are what they are, the chemist is a business, this is why the NHS is so important and people just don't realise how much they receive and take for granted they will continue to receive.

I've taken it twice in my life and never been asked to pay. I just attended A&E and got given it.

That's far too expensive. It should definitely be subsidised and I agree with you OP, it does seem to be aiming to make "irresponsible" women pay for their mistakes/contraceptive failures.

I got charged £26.50 in Devon

crazy prices IMA underage girls have to pay but obver 19's get it free

I had to get the MAP not that long ago. Went to a local v.large (and therefore anonymous) Boots. They offered it for £26 or free if I filled in a questionnaire.

Guess which option I chose.

Its cheaper than a baby - have you seen the cost of one of those

Totally agree, Trillian. And to be honest I am fairly to mediumly sure that most people who think/can be arsed to take the MAP are people who usually use contraception. I can't imagine there are that many people who hardly ever have sex, but when they occasionally do don't bother with contraception, but instead get down to the GPs to get the MAP. Who would those people be? Far more likely that people who take it are those whose contraception has failed (i.e. condom problem or perhaps throwing up the Pill), or who didn't use contraception as a one-off stupid thing, and are then making damn sure they don't bring an unwanted child into the world.

I was shocked at the price too. I think it should be more affordable, I do think some people would be put off by the price.

I had to take it once and when we got to the shops I realised that I'd forgotten to bring the prescription I'd got from the GP, and dh just drove us off saying oh it's cheaper to just have the baby .

(I still went back after getting the prescription btw)

It's not the NHS, its the pharmacist - a private business - who are charging for over-the-counter MAP.

Also, I think you misread the Bayer price list. Levonelle One-step is £13.83 each wholesale with a recommended retail selling price of £22.35 inc VAT. Levonelle 1500 is prescription only.

If a pharmacist chooses to sell for £26, that's their business.

"If they did wouldn't more people rely on it as a standard form of contraception though?"

Er, no. I highly doubt that anyone considers the cost of the MAP when they are remembering/forgetting to use contraception.

Surely someone can make a cheap version?

If they did wouldn't more people rely on it as a standard form of contraception though? Surely that wouldn't be a good thing at all?

Ordinarily you can get an emergency GP or family planning clinic appointment and get it for free, if you call NHS direct they can give you details of where you can get it if your doctors is closed.

Surely it's a very low number of people who actually have to pay the full over the counter cost. Since in the UK you can get all other forms of contraception for free I think it's a fair price.

Oh, sorry - didn't read that properly.

''Now you know just how valuable NHS treatment and prescriptions are.''

It's the NHS who are charging us more then 10x the retail value for the MAP.

Some pharmacies are able to provide the morning after pill for free. If the pharmacy is charging you £26 ask them which ones are offering it for free in your local area.

It's the COST.

Now you know just how valuable NHS treatment and prescriptions are.

I looked on Bayers website (the manufacturers of Levonelle). Levonelle OneStep is sold in packs of 10 costing £22.35. Levonelle 1500 is also sold in packs of 10 and is either £13.83 or £5.20.

On the plus side there is a time limit on pharma copyrights so eventually someone will be making it more cheaply.

I have not taken it before for exactly that reason, that's a week's food money.

All very well to say go to fpclinic but how at the weekend, when rural public transport shuts down and ooh doctor doesn't answer phone!

Thankfully I wasn't pregnant.

The only time I've taken it it was a Sunday and all the doctors were closed, I had to find that money or else. Luckily boyfriend at the time paid for it as it was "his fault" (to his mind, not in actual fact). But it is extortionate and should be available much more cheaply IMO. Surely someone can make a cheap version?

I have wondered if it is to put people off taking it.

That's over the counter price - people should be able to get an emergency appointment with their GP within 72 hours (within 24 to make it really effective) and get it free.