Free contraception service is available for people aged 17 to 31 years inclusive. This service has both a Practitioner (GP) service component and a Community Pharmacy counselling, advice and dispensing component is pursuant to Section 67E of the Health Act, 1970 (as amended).
The scheme provides for:
- The cost of necessary consultations with GPs and other doctors to discuss suitable contraceptive options for individual patients and to enable issuing of prescriptions for same;
- The cost of dispensing of contraceptive prescriptions by Community Pharmacists
- The cost of fitting and/or removal of various types of long-acting reversible contraception (LARCs) plus any necessary checks, by medical professionals to fit/remove same;
- The cost of training and certifying additional medical professionals to fit and remove LARCs;
- Provision of the wide range of contraceptive options currently available to GMS (medical) card holders will also be available through this scheme, to include contraceptive injections, implants, IUS and IUDs (coils), the contraceptive patch and ring, and various forms of oral contraceptive pill, including emergency contraception.
For items such as the contraceptive pill, these are typically prescribed at 6-month intervals.
For LARCs, (e.g. IUS, IUD, implants, injections, patches and rings), where the fittings/injections are carried out by healthcare professionals, fitting and removal appointments are also provided for separately, in addition to the consultations.
GPs, who have an interest in providing this service, can sign and return the ‘Contractor Details and Acceptance’ form.
If you would like to receive a copy of the form by email or if you have any queries please contact the HSE National Contracts Office;
Telephone: 044 93 95519 or email: contract.national@hse.ie
Read more about the Free Contraception Contract Scheme
