Premier David Eby says 188,000 people picked up free contraceptive prescriptions from pharmacists since the province expanded access to birth control earlier this year.
Broken down, about 123,000 people received hormonal birth control pills and another 30,000 opted for intrauterine devices (IUDs), Eby explained from a North Vancouver pharmacy Friday (Dec. 8). Additionally, 37,000 people also received emergency contraceptives.
Eby said these new measures have relieved pressure on clinics and ERs, while also saving British Columbians hundreds of dollars on contraceptives every year.