Birth control pills or contraceptive pills first became available to the general public in the early years of 1960s, gaining prominence in time and becoming known as one of the most efficient contraceptive methods developed. With this status, contraceptive pills also became one of the most readily accessible medications sold in the west.

However, despite its known efficiency, formidable safety and reliability as well as wide popularity among the doctors and users alike, the pill cannot be bought over the counter. Instead, you can buy birth control pills in the UK only with a valid prescription issued by a certified medical professional.

This is so because not every type of birth control treatment is suitable for everybody and the doctor will have to get a deeper understanding of your medical profile and history in order to properly assess your suitability for any given contraceptive treatment.

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Best places the buy contraceptive pill in the UK

With what has been said above in mind, we can mention that in the UK, you can buy oral contraceptives from various institutions that offer you both the consultations and the service of actually issuing a prescription. These include:

  • Your general practitioner (GP) and later local pharmacy
  • Sexual health or GUM clinic
  • Online clinics and online pharmacies

Obtaining the pill through your GP

An option that is considered to be traditional or conventional by many include simply obtaining your contraceptives from your general practitioner, a regular NHS licensed doctor.

There is not much that can be said about this that isn’t already common knowledge. Obtaining your oral contraceptives this way involves:

  • Making an appointment with the GP
  • Answering to relevant questions about your medical profile and history, as well as about your general health

Using the information obtained, the doctor will determine your suitability for any given contraceptive pill. As there are many different types of birth control pills available on the UK market, the doctor is likely to take into account other issues which can be mitigated with certain specific pills. For example, if you are struggling with acne or heavy bleeding, there are certain brands that will relieve these conditions in addition to providing contraceptive protection from unwanted pregnancy.

Once the doctor decides you can safely use the recommended pill, he will issue a prescription. Then, you will be required go to the pharmacy in person in order to pick up your treatment.

Getting the pill from GUM clinic

Sexual health clinics, better known in the UK as GUM clinics (abbreviation from Genitoruinary medicine clinic) is another very reliable place where you can easily obtain any of the numerous methods and forms of contraception (such as condoms, caps, diaphragms or pills).

But, just as is the case with your local general practitioner, here you will also have to first consult with a healthcare professional so that you can be sure that the final choice is suitable for you.

This makes buying contraceptive pills through GUMs the same as getting them from GP with the main differences being that you will talk with a sexual health specialist and not your family doctor which will make the whole situation less uncomfortable and, even more importantly, that you will be able to obtain both the prescription and the pills from one place, without having to visit pharmacy afterwards. This makes them especially popular among the young adults.

Can I buy contraceptive pills online in the UK?

Buying birth control pills online is an increasingly popular way of getting them. And it is not without good reason. Buying contraception online has many advantages – most importantly, you don’t have to go through the process in person. Instead, you can consult with a doctor, get the prescription and order the medication using just your PC or smartphone with internet connection.

In most scenarios, after contacting the online clinic of your choice, you will be asked to fill in a detailed and customised medical questionnaire that will help the doctor gain a deeper understanding of your medical profile and history. This will be used in order to make an informed assessment regarding your suitability for any given birth control pill. Once the doctor decides on the best option for you, the prescription will be issued and used to have the medication delivered from the partner pharmacy to the address you provided.

How safe and reliable are online clinics?

One question often and rightfully posed is how reliable are online clinics and is it safe to order medications from online clinics. This scepticism is justified – internet is a place of anonymity and just like in other industries, online pharmacy industry has also been exploited by a number of fraudsters which might send counterfeit products or issue prescriptions without the necessary medical checks and consultations.

But, we have some good news for you! As all online pharmacies and clinics operating in the UK are now required to register, you can easily differentiate fraudsters from serious healthcare companies.

How to renew my prescription?

In most cases, when a prescription is issued, it will cover a period of between three and six months after which you will be required to renew your prescription. Before doing so, the doctor will check how you are responding to the treatment before issuing another batch. This is also the moment when the prescription could be withdrawn due to prominence of certain side effects. However, if the side effects are absent, the prescription will be renewed. You can do this through any of the ways that were already discussed regarding obtaining a prescription for the first time.