A partnership Agreement between the Department of Health, the Health Service Executive (HSE) and the Irish Pharmacy Union (IPU) has committed to significantly expanding access to free condoms and lubricant sachets to services working directly with population groups who may be at increased risk of unplanned pregnancy, HIV or Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STI’s).
The information relating to the commitment is outlined in the Community Pharmacy Agreement 2025 that was introduced by the Minister for Health Jennifer Carroll MacNeill in the Dáil today.
The Agreement states that the National Condom Distribution Service (NCDS) which already distributes free condoms and lubricant sachets through will now be further expanded to include community pharmacies.
This will involve pharmacists having a stock of condoms/lubricants supplied by the NCDS to distribute to patients as part of a clinical consultation.
It was previously the case that only public sector bodies or agencies, including STI clinics, hospitals, and HSE health promotion & improvement, Third-level institutions, Non-governmental organisations (NGOs), HIV PrEP providers and General Practitioners could order free condoms and lubricant for distribution.
The Agreement also references changes to the Free Contraception Scheme (FCS) that was introduced by the Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly in September 2022.
Access to the scheme is free at the point of care to women, girls, and people identifying as transgender or non-binary, within the eligible age range (currently 17-35 years) for whom prescription contraception is deemed clinically suitable.
The Agreement now confirms however that the Department of Health will make appropriate legislative changes to enable pharmacists to continue prescriptions for short-acting reversible contraception to support timely access and continuity of care under the FCS.
These changes will build on the emergency contraception service already embedded in community pharmacy. Future development of models of pharmacist prescribing in this area are also set to be progressed in line with the report of the Expert Taskforce on the Expansion of the Role of Pharmacy.
A service fee of €37.50 will be payable for each continuation of a prescription for a short-acting contraception to a woman eligible to avail of the Free Contraception Scheme.
This fee will apply from the launch date of this service that is expected to take place before the end of 2025.