People Are Urging Boots To Keep Discounted Price On Morning After Pill Following Backlash
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Campaigners and MPs are urging Boots to continue selling morning after pills at a reduced price, after the chemist slashed the cost by 50 per cent for Black Friday.
As part of the discounts over the weekend, Levonelle was reduced from £28.25 to £14.12, while Levonorgestrel was priced at £8 instead of £15.99.
The decision sparked a great deal of backlash, with people claiming important medication should not be used to make a profit and therefore should be offered at the reduced price all year round.
A letter, headed by Dame Diana Johnson MP, reads: "We, the women of the Parliamentary Labour Party, are writing to urge you not to double the price of emergency contraception.
"The discount you are offering and the fact that the same medication is available from other online retailers for less than £4, demonstrates that, despite price reductions in 2017, pharmacies continue to impose a sexist surcharge on this important medication.
"Now, in 2021, Boots has an opportunity to lead the way on this issue and demonstrate a clear commitment to improving women’s reproductive health and wellbeing."
An online petition has also been launched, calling for Boots to cut the price.
"For Black Friday, Boots - the largest pharmacy chain in the UK - has a deal to get 50 per cent off the price of emergency contraception," it reads.
"This deal shows that when it's in their own interests, it's possible for big pharmacy chains to make emergency contraception affordable. But for the rest of the year, they choose not to. It's a sexist surcharge and it needs to stop.
"It is wrong that a woman in need of this essential medication next week will be forced to pay double what is being charged today.
"Add your name to this petition to tell Boots that women need access to affordable healthcare all year round."
You can sign the petition here.
In response, a spokesperson for Boots said: "We sometimes offer short term promotions in order to raise awareness of certain services, but it is not usually possible to sustain significant discounts in the long term.
"Our pricing model takes into account the expert clinical advice and consultation that we give with these services and the prices are in line with other high street pharmacies.
"The morning after pill is available for free in many NHS settings, including in Boots pharmacies that have been commissioned by local NHS CCGs to provide such a service."