Women will be able to buy Pill without prescription

TWO London health trusts will be the first in the country to offer the contraceptive pill in pharmacies without a prescription.

Both Lewisham and Southwark are in the top five for the country's worst teen pregnancy rates.

Bosses in these health trusts will begin piloting the scheme from next year after winning Government funding.

The Pill is currently available only with a prescription although most pharmacies can provide the morning-after-Pill without a doctor's authorisation. But women aged 16 and over will now be able to obtain oral contraceptives from their local chemist without being seen by a GP.

Pharmacists will offer the pill under a form of mass prescription during a two-year trial.

Doctors will authorise chemists to supply the pill to any woman who requires the contraceptive.

The Family Planning Association said pharmacists were well placed to provide the pill as long as they received the right training. Chief executive Julie Bentley said: "Pharmacists are highly skilled professionals. With the right training and clinical support, they are well placed to conduct consultations with women."