Labour MPs Urge Boots To Reconsider Morning After Pill Decision

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by Elizabeth Bennett |
Published on

On Friday a number of female Labour MPs wrote a letter in support of the British Pregnancy Advisory Service campaign calling for Boots to reconsider the cost of thier morning after pill.

The high street giant confirmed earlier this week that it would continue to charge between £26.75 and £28.25 for the two morning after pills it offers.

Following an investigation by the European Consortium for Emergency Contraception that highlighted that in neighbouring European countries the morning after pill could be accessed for as little as £5.50, and the subsequent 'sexist surcharge' campaign by BPAS, rival retailers including Superdrug and Tesco have cut their prices.

Jess Phillips, Labour MP and chair of the women’s parliamentary Labour party, wrote the letter which came signed by a number of prominent Labour MPs including Harriet Harman, Yvette Cooper and Rachel Reeves.

'Boots is the largest high-street pharmacy in the UK, and 90% of the population lives within 10 minutes of one of their shops. It is therefore completely unacceptable that British women have been paying up to £30 for a pill that costs a fraction of that to produce. The high cost of emergency contraception at Boots is preventing women from accessing it when needed,' the letter wrote.

Boots have now responded to the backlash in a statement. The company commented it would not be changing the price because it did not want to be blamed for 'incentivising inappropriate use'.

'We receive frequent contact from individuals who voice their disapproval that the company chooses to provide this service,' said Boots' chief pharmacist, Marc Donovan.

[READ MORE: Why Won't Boots Cut The Price Of The Morning After Pill?

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