Pill free on prescription from December

Friday 31 October 2014

Women in Jersey will finally be able to get the pill on prescription after the States finally came into line with the NHS and agreed to supply it for free.

All the pills currently available in the Island will be free from 1 December as well as any other oral contraceptives that come onto the market subject to getting industry approval. The change was first recommended over a year ago, but has only just been passed - perhaps ironically, viagra-style medication has been available on prescription for some time.

Women will be able to pick up a three-month supply from their GP to start with and then up to a year’s worth if there are no side effects or health concerns.

But there will still be a charge for all other contraceptives unlike the UK where they are free to both women and men on the NHS.

A spokesman for the Social Security department said that the change in policy was first recommended last October.

The spokesman said: "A wide variety of contraception has always been available to women in Jersey on private prescription and these products can now been obtained on a Health Insurance Fund prescription.

"The decision to add contraceptives to the prescribed list is in response to recommendations from the Pharmaceutical Benefit Advisory Committee made on 10th October 2013 and 15th July 2014.  The Pharmaceutical Benefit Advisory Committee is established under the Health Insurance Law to recommend the addition (or deletion) of medicines which can be prescribed by GPs and funded by the Health Insurance Fund.  The committee includes GPs, pharmacists and other health professionals.

"Following recommendations from the committee, contraception will be added to the prescribed list, coming into effect on the 1^st December."