Chemist Boots Ireland has announced plans to provide customers with an emergency contraception service.
Widely-known as the "morning after pill", the pill costing €45, will be available to customers without prescription from Wednesday.
Boots is offering the service under a "patient group direction" (PGD) which allows pharmacists to provide a range of clinical services, including medical treatments.
The emergency contraception service is the second PGD service to be provided by Boots Ireland, following the recent introduction of a flu vaccination programme.
The morning after pill will be provided to paying customers following a one-on-one consultation with a trained pharmacist in a private consultation room.
“This emergency contraception service has been introduced as part of Boots’ objective to provide responsible, accessible and affordable healthcare to its customers,” said Mary Rose Burke, chief pharmacist, Boots Ireland.
Boots pharmacists have received training on all aspects relating to emergency contraception, long term contraception and sexual health issues.
The service will be available from all Boots chemists throughout Ireland.
Choice Ireland tonight welcomed Boots decision to make emergency contraception available without prescription.
"Emergency contraception is widely available over the counter across Europe and across the border in the six counties. The need for a prescription simply places additional delays and costs on women in a situation where time truly is of the essence," said spokeswoman Sinéad Ahern.
We welcome this decision as a big step forward for women’s access to sexual and reproductive health services and urge other pharmacies to follow suit," she added.
The Irish Family Planning Association also welcomed today's announcement with its medical director Dr Catriona Henchion saying the emergency contraceptive pill was "a very safe and responsible method of preventing pregnancy."
Separately, the Irish Pharmacy Union said it "strongly supported the significant expansion of the role of pharmacists."