Pharmacists are calling on the Health Minister to allow the morning after pill become available to women under the medical card scheme.

A survey by the Irish Pharmacy Union found that 18 per cent of women with a medical card chose to get their emergency contraception from a pharmacy as opposed to getting it free on prescription from their GP.

But Vice President of the IPU, Kathy Maher says pharmacists already offer seasonal flu vaccination services without charge to medical card patients, so a similar service for the morning after pill should also be put in place.