Members of the Irish Pharmacy Union (IPU) and the Irish Family Planning Association (IFPA) have renewed calls for the Government to make the morning-after pill available over the counter without prescription.
The move comes on the back of a survey by the IPU which found that over 75 per cent of those asked were in favour of the pill being made available without a prescription.
It was opposed by less than one in five (19 per cent). The survey found that those opposed are mainly over the age of 50 and are considerably more likely to be female than male.
IPU Vice President Liz Hoctor, said the move would make the pill more "accessible for women".
"For the morning after pill to be effective it must be taken within 72 hours of unprotected sex however, it is more effective if it is taken within the first 24 hours and that's why for women it is very important that they can get emergency access to hormonal contraception when they need it," she said.