Fifth Stage Stage in the legislative process — click for what it means Current The bill’s status — click for what it means 27th Seanad The House currently handling the bill 74/2026 Official bill number / year
Health (Provision of Contraception Prescribing Service in Retail Pharmacy Businesses) Bill 2026
- Sponsor
- Minister for Health
- Introduced
- 26 Jun 2026
- Last updated
- 22 Jul 2026
What this bill does AI · claude-haiku-4-5-20251001
- Enables registered pharmacists in retail pharmacies to issue prescriptions for contraceptive drugs, medicines, products and devices, and adds retail pharmacy businesses as scheme providers under the Health Act 1970.
- Allows women eligible for the Free Contraception Scheme to access contraception prescriptions from pharmacies free of charge, and permits private patients aged 17–55 to access the service for a fee.
- Amends the Irish Medicines Board Act 1995 and Pharmacy Act 2007 to support clinical protocols, training requirements, and regulatory framework for pharmacists delivering the new contraception prescribing service.
Stage timeline What do these stages mean?
- First Stage 34th Dáil26 Jun 2026
- Second Stage 34th Dáil26 Jun 2026
- Report Stage 34th Dáil16 Jul 2026
- Fifth Stage 34th Dáil16 Jul 2026
- Second Stage 27th Seanad16 Jul 2026
- Committee Stage 34th Dáil16 Jul 2026