Poland: Ministry of Health to extend pharmacy prescribing pilot for emergency contraception
June 2026. Poland’s Ministry of Health has announced plans to extend the pilot programme that allows pharmacists to issue prescriptions for emergency contraception (EC) pills directly in participating pharmacies. The programme, which began on 1 May 2024, was originally scheduled to run for 25 months, until June 2026. Following positive uptake, the Ministry has indicated that it is likely to continue for an additional one to two years.
According to data from the Centre for e-Health, pharmacies issued 52,967 prescriptions for EC pills in 2025. The Ministry cited the programme’s effectiveness and its role in addressing an important health need among patients as key reasons for its continuation.
The pilot programme was introduced in May 2024 after legislation to make EC available without a prescription was vetoed. Under the current system, participating pharmacies can provide consultations and issue prescriptions for ulipristal acetate EC pills.
Hungary now remains the only country in the European Union where no action has been taken to update EC access policies.
Source: ASTRA Network and TVN24.
