LloydsPharmacy has announced that as of 15 August it will reduce the price of its sanitary products by five per cent in order to cover the cost of VAT for customers. 

LloydsPharmacy is the first pharmacy chain to announce it will shoulder the cost of VAT on sanitary products for its customers. Campaigners have sought to make women’s sanitary products VAT-exempt for several years, but have been prevented by EU laws. While prime minister, David Cameron persuaded European ministers to change rules to allow zero-rating of sanitary products – but any new rules would come into effect in 2018 at the earliest.

LloydsPharmacy marketing director Sarah Jezard said: “We recognise that sanitary items are essential for women and their wellbeing. As a trusted healthcare provider we want to ensure that our customers have better access to the products they need. That’s why we will reduce the price of our sanitary products by five per cent to cover the VAT for our customers.”

“Across our LloydsPharmacy network, our expert pharmacists are available to offer free support and guidance about women’s health. Customers can pop into their local LloydsPharmacy and speak to one of our professionals about their health needs and receive advice on appropriate products.”