35,000 women get morning-after pill free with medical card

Almost 35,000 women got the morning-after pill for free under the medical card scheme during the past three years at a cost of nearly €650,000 to the HSE.

An average of 31 medical-card holders were issued with the emergency contraceptive pill every day between 2014 and 2016, data released under the Freedom of Information Act has revealed.

The emergency hormonal contraception (EHC) has been available to private patients over the counter at pharmacies since 2011.