October has been and passed (RIP the Halloween costumes, till next year my friends) and the start of November usually means one thing, right? FIREWORKS.
But in this case, the start of this month means something else too, and one of a more depressing note.
Remember this summer, and the uproar that ensused when a Bootsspokesperson explained why the brand wouldn't be reducing the price of their morning after pill?
The much-loved high street brand had refused to reduce the price of their morning after pill claiming it would be 'incentivising inappropriate use.' This is despite the fact that their competitors Tesco and Superdrug halved their costs after a campaign by the charity British Pregnancy Advisory Service (BPAS), a leading provider of abortion care. BPAS had revealed that British customers payed up to five times as much some European equivalents and called out the companies for being ‘insulting’ and ‘sexist’. Boots were then accused of refusing as a moral strategy.
WATCH NOW: Abortion Rights In Northern Ireland
After the threat of boycott, Boots finally decided that they would sell it at a cheaper price; so instead of costing the previous £28.25, it would be £15.99 which is still £2.49 more expensive than the £13.49 pricing of other stores. This was promised to be available in all of their 2,500 stores in the UK by October.
But its November, and there are still no cheaper morning after pills to be had.
Boots have apologised for the delay, blaming it on a problem with their supply chain. 'We are currently offering an extended over-the-counter Emergency Hormonal Contraception (EHC) service which includes the generic levonorgestrel in 38 stores in the East Midlands,' said a spokesperson. 'We are working closely with the supplier to increase supply into the UK; but unfortunately they have experienced a slight delay in their supply chain. We anticipate a full roll out within the next month.
'We’re sorry for this slight delay and we remain committed to increasing accessibility of EHC for women, and we firmly believe in the right of all women to access these services with ease and convenience.'
A spokesperson for BPAS said 'We are shocked and saddened by Boots’ lack of progress. In August, they announced that they were already “trialling” a cheaper product in 38 of their stores and committed to this being available in all stores by the end of October.
'Exactly two months later, there appears to have been no further roll out of this promised service. We simply cannot understand how a company of this size is incapable of providing an affordable product when so many of their smaller competitors have already done so.'
**You might also be interested in: **
The Questions Pharmacists Ask Before Handing Over The Morning After Pill Might Be Totally Unecessary
This article originally appeared on The Debrief.