The reclassification of the daily progestogen-only contraceptive pill was one of the biggest revolutions in women’s health.
In 2021 the UK’s Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) granted a licence to Maxwellia’s Lovima®, making it one of the first contraceptive pills to be available to buy without a prescription.
That game-changing decision means women can buy Lovima® – a daily progestogen-only pill which contains desogestrel 75mcg – over the counter from high street or online, without needing a prescription from a doctor or sexual health clinic.
The reclassification of the contraceptive pill was welcomed by women's health organisations including the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG) and the Faculty of Sexual and Reproductive Healthcare (FSRH) who had campaign tirelessly for increased access to contraception.
In research commissioned by Maxwellia, it was found that almost three quarters (70%) of women who had used contraception agreed the contraceptive pill should be easier to get hold of and made more widely available. The survey, which questioned 1,009 women in the UK aged 18-55, also found that nearly half (48%) would be deterred from getting contraception because it's difficult or too time consuming or because it's inconvenient to get a GP or sexual health clinic appointment. Nearly half (44%) said they would be willing to pay to get the contraception they need more quickly and easily.
Maxwellia founder and CEO, Anna Maxwell, a registered pharmacist, said at the time:
“When the contraceptive pill was first made available in the UK 60 years ago, doctors were only allowed to prescribe it to married women. This is 2021. We have liberated this pill Lovima®, containing desogestrel 75mcg, from prescription status, so women can live the lifestyle they want, be in charge of their body and decide when or if they have a baby – and that includes choosing to buy Lovima® following a consultation with their pharmacist.”
Women can get Lovima® from their leading pharmacy chains including Boots, Superdrug, and Day Lewis, following a consultation with their pharmacist. It can also be bought directly from Lovima.com, Maxwellia’s D2C ecommerce website.
Learn more about Lovima at Lovima.com.
Lovima® 75mcg film-coated tablets. Desogestrel. Oral contraception. Always read the label.