On Black Friday, UK pharmacy chain Boots slashed the price of emergency contraception, giving it a 50 percent discount.
The deal, which was brought to people's attention by a tweet, has since prompted the launch of a campaign to make the morning after pill more affordable and accessible. And many have called out the exorbitant prices being regularly charged by retailers for this medication.
Tweet may have been deleted
The morning after pill is a form of emergency contraception that can be taken after unprotected sex to try to prevent a pregnancy. The medication is also used when another type of contraception has failed, so, if the condom breaks or you miss a pill. An intrauterine device (IUD or coil) can also be fitted as a form of emergency contraception.
Campaigners from the British Pregnancy Advisory Service and Labour MPs urged Boots not to restore the original price of the generic version of morning after pill Levonorgestrel from £8 to £15.99 following the Black Friday weekend sale. Sadly, their calls to keep the discounted price were ignored.
"Despite calls from thousands of our supporters, MPs, healthcare bodies, and campaigners, Boots have refused to retain a fairer price for emergency contraception," reads a statement by BPAS. "We are disappointed, but sadly we are not surprised."
Campaigners are now urging Boots to do the right thing and permanently reduce the price of the morning after pill to £8.
Tweet may have been deleted
BPAS added that "women requiring levonorgestrel EC who have a BMI of over 26 or weigh more than 11 stone (156 lb), and those on certain medications, must purchase a double dose pack which costs £31.98 for the generic and £56.50 for the branded version, Levonelle." That means it costs around £60 to prevent an unplanned pregnancy — a price that is undoubtedly cost prohibitive.
Journalist Rose Stokes — who tweeted about the Black Friday deal and who's running the campaign with BPAS — told Mashable that Boots have not responded to the calls to make emergency contraception more accessible "suggesting they are continuing to prioritise profit over the needs of people who might really need this critical medication."
"Boots has an opportunity to lead the way on correcting this. I hope they take it."
"It is nothing short of shocking to see the markup that this high-street giant is applying to these drugs, knowing full well that doing so will prevent many people who need it most from being able to access it," said Stokes. "For too long women and people with wombs have had to pay a sexist surcharge on basic healthcare items, Boots has an opportunity to lead the way on correcting this. I hope they take it."
Pharmacies in the UK reduced the price of generic emergency contraception in 2017, but according to BPAS, major retailers continue to mark up the price of this medication. Online pharmacy Chemist4You sells it for £3.49, and sexual health services like Sexual Health London provide it free of charge (with the option of getting it delivered to your home address).
The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists said in a statement that the cost of emergency contraception “exposes the inequalities which women and girls face in access to healthcare.”
Clare Murphy, chief executive of the British Pregnancy Advisory Service, BPAS, said they were "disappointed but not surprised" by Boots’ decision.
"Given the fact that much smaller retailers provide the same medication for less than a third than that charged by this high-street giant, there is absolutely no justification for this price increase," Murphy continued. "At BPAS, we see women experiencing an unplanned pregnancy because of barriers to emergency contraception, including the cost. Boots had the opportunity to show a commitment to the reproductive wellbeing of the communities they serve, but sadly this has not been taken."
Mashable reached out to Boots for comment but did not hear back immediately. Boots told BPAS that "it is not usually possible to sustain significant discounts in the long term."
This isn't the first time Boots has caused outrage with its pricing of the morning after pill. In 2017, Boots refused to lower the price of emergency contraception stating that doing so would "incentivise inappropriate use." Boots later apologised and announced the launch of a generic pill costing £15.99 .
MPs wrote a letter to Sebastian James, managing director of Boots, but had not received a reply at the time of publishing this story. Dame Diana Johnson, MP for Kingston upon Hull North who co-ordinated the letter, said it was deeply disappointing to see Boots raise the price of emergency contraception.
Tweet may have been deleted
"In a time when NHS services are being cut across the country, women desperately need access to affordable contraceptive healthcare," said Johnson. "We would be more than happy to meet with the managing director of Boots to discuss the needs of women and the impact of this decision, and I hope that he will be responding to our letter as a matter of urgency."
Following Boots' lack of response, BPAS says it will double down on its efforts to make this medication available to everyone who needs it all year round. It will also continue to campaign for properly funded sexual health services so women have access to a full range of contraceptive options on the National Health Service.
