The emergency contraceptive pill (also known as the “morning after pill”) is a pill that you can take after unprotected sex to prevent pregnancy. It can also be taken if regular contraception failed or there is a concern that your regular contraception was not used or taken correctly.

The morning after pill is available directly from Mullanys Ballyragget Pharmacy without a doctor’s prescription to those over 16 years of age, further to a consultation with the pharmacist and subject to meeting certain criteria.

The emergency contraception service is available free of charge to medical card holders.

If you think you need emergency contraception, it is important to act quickly and consult your pharmacist for advice. Emergency contraception is a safe, effective and responsible method of preventing pregnancy and can be suitable to be taken for up to 120 hours post unprotected sex, but is most effective if taken as soon as possible.

Remember, emergency contraception cannot protect against a sexually transmitted infection.

Should you have any questions about STI’s, talk to your pharmacist or doctor or for further information visit www.thinkcontraception.ie.

Our click and collect service will provide you with greater privacy, comfort and convenience. Once you complete the online form and click submit, our pharmacist will review the information and prepare for your consultation.

By completing the online consultation form in advance, your pharmacist can have your medication ready and waiting for you when you arrive at the pharmacy within 1 hour. During the online process patients are asked to provide a telephone contact number so should a pharmacist wish to query anything, it is done prior to your arrival at the pharmacy - making the consultation process much faster and more convenient.

Upon arrival, please proceed to the dispensary counter to collect your order, you will be met by a pharmacist who will have your completed consultation form and medication ready. A brief and private consultation with the pharmacist will be done which will give you the opportunity to ask the pharmacist any questions you may have.

To help ensure that the morning after pill is suitable for you to use, the pharmacist will need to ask a few simple questions.

Some of the reasons it may not be suitable to supply emergency contraception include:

– Too much time has passed since the event for the medicine to be effective
– You are taking other medicines that interact with emergency contraception
– You have an existing medical condition that means it is not safe to take emergency contraception
– You are under the age of 16
– Your last period was irregular in some way

No. They are not 100% effective and this is because there is a chance that you may have already ovulated when you take an emergency contraceptive pill. In order to have the best chance of success, the emergency contraceptive pill needs to be taken as soon as possible after unprotected sex.

Your pharmacist in Mullanys Ballyragget Pharmacy can outline for you the possible side effects. These are also detailed in a leaflet which accompanies the pill. Whilst most people do not experience any side effects, potential ill effects include:

– Feeling sick or nausea
– Abdominal pain or cramping
– Headaches
– Irregular bleeding or spotting can occur until your next period
– Painful first period following taking the pill
– Tiredness
– Vomiting
– Diarrhoea
– Breast tenderness