Boots issues apology for refusing to cut the price of the morning-after pill as Labour MPs urge women to boycott high street chemist
Stella Creasy, Harriet Harman and Yvette Cooper were among 35 MPs to sign a letter calling on the company to back down
BOOTS has been forced to issue a grovelling apology for refusing to cut the price of the morning-after pill after Labour MPs urged women to boycott the store.
The high street chemist has come under intense fire after refusing to bend to calls to slash the cost of emergency contraception by half – despite its rivals Tesco and Superdrug agreeing.
The chain yesterday insisted it would continue charging £28.25 for the morning-after pill as it fears encouraging women to “abuse” it.
But the company has now backtracked, saying it was "truly sorry" for the way it responded and insisting it was looking for cheaper alternatives.
A spokesperson for Boots said: “Pharmacy and care for customers are at the heart of everything we do and as such we are truly sorry that our poor choice of words in describing our position on emergency hormonal contraception (EHC) has caused offence and misunderstanding, and we sincerely apologise.”
The apology came after some 35 female Labour MPs threw their weight behind a campaign against the chain.
The MPs backed demands by the British Pregnancy Advisory Service – the largest abortion provider in the UK – for pharmacists to cut the cost of the morning-after pill.
Walthamstow MP Stella Creasy, former party leader Harriet Harman and ex-shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper were among those who wrote to Boots.
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They said: “It is completely unacceptable that British women have been paying up to £30 for a pill which costs a fraction of that to produce.
“The justification given by Boots was that it did not want to face complaints or to incentivise the use of emergency contraceptive. This infantilises women.”
The MPs said a price cut was “supported by the majority of the public”.
Miss Cooper also tweeted the company, saying: “This is patronising and pathetic – keeping emergency contraception price too high cos you don’t trust women and are scared of critics.”
And Birmingham Yardley MP Jess Phillips backed calls for a boycott, saying: “It’s totally unacceptable and also totally commercial.
“They’re willing to take a moral stance if it pays them … I agree that we should boycott it.”
Boots UK chief pharmacist Marc Donovan said earlier: “In our experience the subject of emergency hormonal contraception polarises public opinion and we receive frequent contact from individuals who voice their disapproval of the fact that the company chooses to provide this service.
“We would not want to be accused of incentivising inappropriate use, and provoking complaints, by significantly reducing the price of this product.”
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