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The Lowdown’s pharmacy update FAQs

Written by Alice Pelton on Jun 3, 2024

Since launching our prescriptions service in 2022, we have always hoped to partner with the NHS to offer this online service free of charge – and we can now confirm that this is possible 🙌.

We are super excited to partner with Chemist4U, one of the first UK digital pharmacies to offer contraception delivered to your door, for free on the NHS without a prescription. No doctor’s appointments and no pharmacy visits.

Browse through these questions to learn more about this change, and see what others have been wondering.

Please email Dani, our community lead at hello@thelowdown.com if anything is unclear. We’re here to help.

I have an active subscription, are you cancelling it? And why?

If you have a subscription with us, and get your contraceptive delivered automatically every 3, 6 or 12 months, we will automatically cancel your subscription – you do not need to contact us to do this.

If your subscription is due to renew before Monday 22nd July, it will still go through and be posted to you.

If your subscription renewal falls after 11.59pm on Sunday 21st July, we won’t take payment as your subscription will be cancelled.

We really want to be able to offer this service for free for as many people as possible. Since we’re such a small team, we can’t run our private service and NHS service in tandem.

Who is eligible to get their contraception delivered for free via Chemist4U?

Contraception is free to access on the NHS via your GP surgery or sexual health clinic. Last year, the government announced a change so that if you live in England you can get your contraceptive pill supplied by a pharmacy on the NHS, without needing to see your GP.

We’ve partnered with the team at Chemist4U pharmacy to be one of the first digital pharmacies to offer this service online, without needing to attend a pharmacy in person.

Which contraceptives are free?

If you live in England, the combined pill and the progestogen-only pill (mini pill) can be supplied by a pharmacist for free, meaning you can order these pills via Chemist4U at no cost.

All pills except Slynd, Hana and Lovima are free via this service.

If you live outside of England and want to use The Lowdown and Chemist4U online service, you will need to pay for a private prescription.

The contraceptive patch, injection and vaginal ring are also available to purchase privately via Chemist4U, regardless of your location.

Pills available from this service:

What if I live in Ireland, Scotland or Wales? 

At the moment, this service is only free for those who are eligible and living in England, but there is the option to purchase your prescription for the same price as you do at The Lowdown.

Which other contraceptives can I order through the private service?

Do I need to create a new account with Chemist4U?

Yes, you will need to fill in your new account details to order with Chemist4U. Your The Lowdown account can’t be used to order with Chemist4U.

How do I place my order with Chemist4U?

Once this partnership is live, you will be able to order with Chemist4U via The Lowdown site.

FYI: You may be asked to provide proof of identification when making your account.

You will need to head to the Chemist4U consultation form, select your contraception and answer a few health and lifestyle questions to make sure it’s the right contraception for you. Once received by the Chemist4U pharmacy online, the pharmacy team will give you a quick phone call and then your contraception will be delivered to your door.

Chemist4U aims for a speedy same day turnaround time, however the only delay would be if the prescriber needs further information from you.

If you are just starting on your contraception journey the initial supply allows you to receive a 3 months’ supply. After this, ongoing supplies can be provided for 3 months, 6 months or 12 months.

What is the cut off time for orders to be sent out?

Chemist4U aims to have all orders placed and approved before 1pm dispatched on the same day. However this is not always possible as the clinician must speak with you before prescribing as part of the consultation process.

Which delivery options are available with Chemist4U? 

If you are eligible for the NHS service, you will automatically get Tracked48 shipping with Royal Mail free of charge.

For those paying for their contraceptive, there are a few options available:

  • Tracked48 with Royal Mail £2.95
  • Tracked24 with Royal Mail £3.95
  • DPD next day delivery £5.99
  • Royal Mail Special Delivery before 1pm £8.95 
  • Royal Mail Special Delivery before 9am £21.95  

Is the packaging discreet? 

Yes, the packaging is discreet. There are no logos, no mention of a pharmacy and no description of the contents.

Who are Chemist4U and why are you working with them?

We chose to partner with Chemist4U as they are a super efficient and experienced team who have been providing services since 2011 and are aligned with The Lowdown’s mission to help make contraception more accessible.

I have a question about my Chemist4U order, who do I contact? 

If you have any questions about your order, you can head to their support centre or call 01695 474 433 for further information.

I’m eligible for the NHS supply, but I’d rather order privately, can I do this?

Yep – this is not a problem.

Alice Pelton - The Lowdown

Alice Pelton

Alice set up The Lowdown in 2019 with a mission to help transform the minefield that is contraception. She’s spent the last four years talking to thousands of women about this problem – and leads on the delivery of our product, brand and overall proposition.