From Wednesday 29th October, patients will be able to access NHS funded emergency oral contraception from community pharmacies across England.
Alongside this, on the same date, the New Medicines Service (NMS) will be expanded to include depression as an additional therapeutic area. This means that community pharmacists will now be able to support patients to effectively manage and adhere to any newly prescribed medication for the treatment of depression.
Following these service expansions, Company Chemists’ Association Chief Executive Malcolm Harrison said:
“Patients will now be able access both routine and emergency contraception, free of charge, from their local pharmacy.
Patients will no longer experience a postcode lottery when accessing NHS emergency contraception.
This is a big step forward in making sexual healthcare more accessible, timely, and convenient, removing the need for patients to have to visit different providers for their different needs”.
And:
“Community pharmacists will now be able to support patients to effectively manage and adhere to any newly prescribed medication for the treatment of depression
This expansion is testament to the growing role community pharmacy plays in improving outcomes and helping patients to manage their long-term conditions. It will also help to take pressure off other parts of the NHS.
Over 90m antidepressant items are already prescribed to an estimated 8.9m patients in England each year.1 The New Medicines Service is likely to see a considerable increase in demand due to this change. It is critical that continued investment in community pharmacy follows to ensure the service remains viable”.
Reference:
1 – NHS Business Services Authority, Medicines used in mental health – England – 2015/16 to 2024/25, 24th July 2025.
Notes:
NHS Pharmacy Contraception Service – addition of Emergency Contraception
- NHS England’s service specification for the NHS Pharmacy Contraception Service has been updated (21st October 2025) and is available here.
- In April 2023, Tier 1 of the NHS Pharmacy Contraception Service launched. This initially involved community pharmacists providing ongoing management of routine oral contraception that was initiated in general practice or a sexual health clinic. The supplied are authorised via a Patient Group Direction (PGD) – see here.
- From December 2023, the service was expanded, enabling community pharmacists to also initiate oral contraception, via a PGD, and provide ongoing clinical checks and annual reviews – see here.
- In March 2025, it was announced that the service would be expanded to include the provision of oral emergency contraception, as part of the Community Pharmacy Contractual Framework. The service is planned to launch on 29th October 2025 – see here.
- Prior to this, oral emergency contraception was commissioned by local authorities or paid for by patients privately. However, the design of the locally commissioned services varies considerably and means that there is no standard offer for patients across England – details here.
New Medicines Service (NMS) – addition of depression
- NHS England’s updated service specification for the New Medicines Service (NMS) is available here (updated 21st October 2025).
- Through the New Medicines Service (NMS), community pharmacists provide pro-active support to patients and carers, to help them manage newly prescribed medicines for a long-term condition.
- From 29th October 2025 the New Medicines Service (NMS) will be expanded to introduce depression as a further therapeutic area. The announcement on the community pharmacy contractual framework 2024-25 and 2025-26 said: “The expansion of the NMS recognises the value delivered for patients in effectively managing their medication, increasing the scope of the potential offer pharmacies may provide”.
- Each year, 6% of adults in England will experience an episode of depression. See NICE, Depression in adults: treatment and management, NICE guideline, 29th June 2022.