Starting next Monday, March 4, Catalan pharmacies will begin to dispense the reusable menstrual products announced by the Government of the Generalitat last year.
Specifically, women, non-binary people and trans men who menstruate will be able to choose between a cup, menstrual panties or a pair of cloth pads in any of the 3,280 pharmacies in Catalonia by presenting the individual and non-transferable QR code, which they will obtain at through the La Meva Salut app or website. This code will be activated starting Monday and until 2025, and once the product is removed from the pharmacy it will be deactivated.
“We are the first country in the world that will distribute reusable menstrual products universally and free of charge accompanied by quality information and advice from pharmacies," emphasized the Minister of Igualtat i Feminismes, Tània Verge, when announcing the start of this initiative.
Last September, when it signed the collaboration agreement with the Col·legi de Farmacèutics de Catalunya to carry out this initiative, Verge assured that the Government will allocate 8.5 million euros to make this initiative possible, which guarantees a new right, the of menstrual equity, and that allows progress in terms of social justice because it combats menstrual poverty by facilitating free access to these products; climate justice, because it will contribute to reducing the more than 9,000 tons of waste produced each year in Catalonia due to the use of single-use tampons and pads; and gender justice, because advice will be offered to end the stigma and taboos around periods that hinder women's health.
This advice will be provided by pharmacists. "In charge of the pharmacies we find health professionals who will provide the necessary guidance to choose the product based on the needs of each person and also education in terms of sexual and reproductive health," highlighted the president of the Col·legi, Jordi Casas.
The Government considers that the personalized information that pharmacists can offer is key to the success of the initiative because it can encourage the use of reusable products, especially among those who use them for the first time. However, a specific communication line has also been enabled to resolve questions on this topic by calling 061 Salut respon.
