Ireland

Emergency contraception (EC) is available in Ireland: EC is included in Ireland’s drug reimbursement policies and is available from pharmacies, hospitals, and family planning clinics. In December 2017 national health authorities announced that EC pills can be provided free of charge at the pharmacies, without the need of a General Doctor’s prescription, in order to make timely access easier.

• Accessibility & prescription status
• Cost
• Guidelines & common practices
• EC use

Accessibility & prescription status

In Ireland, LNG and UPA EC pills are available without a prescription (behind the counter) from pharmacies and are also provided in hospitals and family planning clinics. General practitioners and pharmacists are authorized to prescribe or dispense EC pills.

Cost

Prices as listed in June 2025.²

Until 2017, the cost of LNG emergency contraception (EC) was fully reimbursed when dispensed with a prescription to medical card holders, and it was provided free of charge to both low-income populations and survivors of rape. Reimbursement for UPA EC was more limited: it was only covered for patients who were four or five days post-coitus, though it was also supplied free of charge to low-income groups.

In December 2017, health authorities announced that medical card holders could access EC pills directly from pharmacies free of charge, without the need for a GP prescription.¹ Furthermore, in 2022, a government-funded contraceptive scheme was introduced, offering the full range of contraceptive options at no cost. Initially available to individuals aged 17–25, the program has since undergone several expansions and is now open to those aged 17–35. 

Guidelines & common practices

There are no medical guidelines devoted to EC, and most practitioners in Ireland use the ones published by the UK Faculty of Sexual and Reproductive Healthcare. In 2015 and 2016 respectively, the Pharmaceutical Society of Ireland issued guidance for pharmacists on the safe supply of non-prescription UPA and LNG EC pills. These were subsequently updated.

EC use

Sources

¹ Health Services Executive. “HSE advises that emergency hormonal contraception is available from pharmacists without a prescription up to five days after unprotected sex. [Internet]. HSE.ie. 2018. Available from https://www.hse.ie/eng/services/news/media/pressrel/hse-advises-that-emergency-hormonal-contraception-is-available-from-pharmacists-without-a-prescription-up-to-five-days-after-unprotected-sex-.html

¹Price estimates provided by the Irish Family Planning Association

Last update: June  2025

Previous update: January 2021, February 2019