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Women in England to get contraceptive pill from chemists under new NHS plans
The rollout is hoped to free up appointments and help improve access to general practice
Women in England will be able to get the contraceptive pill at their local pharmacy from next month, without the need for a GP appointment.
Pharmacies will begin offering the new contraceptive service in December with almost half a million women able to access the pill next year without needing to contact their GP first.
For the first time across England, women will be able to walk into their local pharmacy to be supplied oral contraception and receive their next supply.
The rollout is part of the NHS and government’s primary care access recovery plan, hoped to free up appointments and help improve access to general practice.
As more pharmacies begin offering the contraceptive service, the government says the nhs.uk web page will be updated so women can check which pharmacy near to them is offering access to contraception.
Pharmacists will also ramp up the number of blood pressure checks given to at-risk patients over the next year which could prevent more than 1,350 heart attacks and strokes.
Amanda Pritchard, NHS chief executive, said: “The care and support people receive from their local pharmacy is rightly highly valued by patients and so it is essential we use the skills and convenience of community pharmacies to make it as easy as possible for people to get the help they need.
“This is really good news for women. We all lead increasingly busy lives and thanks to this action, rather than making a GP appointment, women can simply pop into their local pharmacy when they need or want to access contraception.”
Health and Social Care Secretary, Victoria Atkins, said: “For the public, these changes will mean more options for women when making a choice about their preferred contraception and reduce the risks of people suffering heart attacks and strokes.
“For healthcare professionals, this will free up GP appointments and make better use of the skills and expertise within community pharmacies.”
Dr Claire Fuller, NHS medical director for primary care and the NHS’ lead GP in England, said: “I’m delighted the changes that the NHS is making mean people will have new and convenient ways of accessing treatments for many common conditions.
“In particular, contraception is essential for many women, and this is a big step forward in making these services easier for women to access.
“Local pharmacies are trusted parts of our communities and GPs and pharmacists work closely together. Pharmacists have always provided continuity and long-term support to patients, families, and carers. So, this is a safe and common-sense way of making NHS services easier for patients to use.”
Janet Morrison, chief executive at Community Pharmacy England, added: “It makes perfect sense to use community pharmacies as a first port of call for healthcare advice, access to contraception and health checks.
“Local pharmacies are staffed by highly qualified healthcare professionals and empowering them to do more is a logical next step for primary care. These new services will help patients and the public, as well as reducing pressure on GPs and the wider NHS.”
William Pett, head of policy, public affairs and research at Healthwatch England, said: “Women across England will welcome the convenience of getting the contraceptive pill at a local pharmacy.
“Being able to see your GP in a timely manner remains the public’s top concern. If this initiative is effectively communicated and delivered, it will make a real difference to patients and relieve the pressure on hard-pressed services.”
However, he warned: “There could be potential problems, such as pharmacists not being able to see enough of people’s GP records or the ability of different communities and areas to access the new service. But, if evaluated well, the NHS will be able to ensure that this promising new service really works for patients.”
Tase Oputu, chair of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society’s English Pharmacy Board, said: “This move will provide women with greater choice in obtaining contraception and advice in the way that best meets their needs.
“Pharmacists are experts in medicines and perfectly placed to provide relevant health checks and ongoing support for women accessing contraception.
“The trials of this scheme showed a widespread welcome for the service and the convenience community pharmacy offers as the front door to the NHS. It also makes suitable use of the clinical skills of pharmacists in partnership with GPs and existing sexual health services.”
Small bowel microbiome differences between women and men may help explain why some conditions are more common in women, a study suggests.
The small bowel microbiome is the community of microorganisms living in this part of the digestive tract, where they play vital roles in immune function, metabolism and hormonal regulation.
Researchers found differences between women and men in the composition and organisation of these microbial communities. One bacterial community containing Granulicatella was found only in women.
The study was conducted by investigators at Cedars-Sinai Health Sciences University.
Ruchi Mathur, director of clinical research and clinical operations for the Medically Associated Science and Technology (MAST) Program at Cedars-Sinai and corresponding author of the study, said: “One intriguing finding was a bacterial community containing Granulicatella, which we found only in women.
“Bacteria in this community appear at increased levels in women with polyendocrine metabolic ovarian syndrome, formerly known as polycystic ovary syndrome.”
The researchers also identified differences between women and men in how microbes in the small bowel produce fructans, complex carbohydrates known to trigger digestive symptoms in irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).
IBS is far more common in women than men.
Mathur, who is also a professor of medicine, said: “Our findings show that biological sex is a critical variable in the small bowel microbiome.
“We must consider it as we move toward more personalised approaches to understanding and treating disease.”
An experimental cancer drug reduced bone loss and body fat in mice modelling post-menopausal changes, early research suggests.
The compound, CADD522, appeared to strengthen bones and help the animals stay leaner after surgery designed to mimic hormonal changes seen after menopause.
The treatment remains at an early experimental stage and has so far only been tested in animals.
The study, led by the University of East Anglia, investigated CADD522, which was originally developed to block a protein involved in the growth and spread of several cancers.
Mice treated with the compound for eight weeks showed significant improvements in bone health. Scans found increased bone volume and better preservation of the honeycomb-like structures inside bones that are crucial for strength and resilience.
Blood tests suggested the treatment stimulated new bone growth without interfering with the body’s normal process of breaking down and rebuilding bone.
Dr Darrell Green, lead researcher from UEA’s Norwich Medical School, said: “Osteoporosis affects around one in three women over the age of 50, leaving sufferers vulnerable to painful fractures that can seriously impact quality of life.
“Current treatments exist, but many are plagued by side effects, safety concerns or inconvenient dosing schedules that make long-term use difficult.”
The researchers also found that mice receiving CADD522 weighed less than untreated mice despite eating the same amount of food.
They had less body fat and fewer fat deposits in their bone marrow, a process commonly seen after menopause and linked to declining bone health.
The team also examined brain tissue and found that the drug appeared to reverse several menopause-related changes in fatty acids.
Levels of omega-3 fats including DHA remained largely intact, while several other lipid abnormalities shifted back towards healthier patterns.
Green said: “We didn’t directly test for memory or thinking ability, but our work raises questions about whether this drug could one day help address wider menopause-related health problems.”
Safety experiments in mice, rats and dogs found that CADD522 could be taken orally and was well tolerated.
The compound also appeared to be metabolised more slowly in human tissue than in rodents, potentially improving its performance in people.
“This is still in the early stages and has so far only been tested in animals but we hope that the benefits will translate to humans to ultimately reduce fracture rates,” added Green.
The research was led by UEA in collaboration with the University of Maryland, the Scintillon Research Institute in San Diego and the University of Stirling.
Safety testing was funded by The Sir William Coxen Trust as part of the development of CADD522 as a childhood cancer treatment.
Weight loss surgery was linked to more regular periods and fewer polyendocrine metabolic ovarian syndrome (PMOS) symptoms in women aged 18 to 45 living with obesity in a recent study.
The researchers recommend that women undergoing the procedure have access to preconception care and reproductive counselling to support their reproductive health.
Researchers at the University of Surrey analysed data over 24 months from 84 women who underwent bariatric surgery and 18 women living with obesity who did not have surgery.
Of those who underwent surgery, 49 had gastric bypass procedures and 35 had gastric sleeve surgery.
Women who underwent metabolic bariatric surgery lost more than 30kg on average at 12 and 24 months after the procedure.
Among women with polycystic ovaries, the condition persisted in only 10 per cent after 24 months.
Women also reported a resolution of clinical hirsutism, or excess body hair, by 12 months.
Women who had previously experienced irregular periods reported more regular menstrual cycles after surgery.
Professor Martin Whyte, co-author of the study and professor of metabolic medicine at the University of Surrey, said: “A large proportion of those undergoing bariatric surgery are women of reproductive age, who may be planning a pregnancy in the coming years.
“So much remains unknown about the impact of this type of surgery on women who are planning to have children.
“This raises the question of when the ideal time after surgery is to conceive.”
Women have a higher prevalence of obesity than men, with 57 per cent of women in the UK classified as overweight and 27 per cent living with obesity, which can affect fertility and the health of an unborn baby.
The researchers said 17 women had healthy pregnancies following surgery.
Although this was not specifically examined in the study, no difference in birth weight was observed between babies conceived within or after the first year.
Dr Kathryn Hart, co-author of the study and associate professor in nutrition and dietetics at the University of Surrey, said: “What we have found is that bariatric surgery positively affects the reproductive health of women living with obesity and can improve the likelihood of them having a healthy pregnancy after surgery.
“Dysregulated hormone levels, irregular periods and conditions such as polycystic ovaries are affected by obesity.
“By reducing this, what we have seen is that it can lead to improvements without the need for medication.
“We would suggest that clinicians consider medical intervention for obesity to treat irregularities in the menstrual cycle and issues with fertility.”
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