The Irish Pharmaceutical Union is stepping up a campaign to legalise the sale of the morning-after pill over the counter.
The move follows the rise in demand for emergency contraceptives from women enjoying one-off holiday weekend flings.
IPU president Michael Guckian said yesterday that every weekend, and particularly bank holiday weekends, pharmacists in the Republic were inundated with requests for the morning-after pill by girls and women who had been unable to contact their GP for a prescription.
He said it was not just teenagers seeking the emergency medicine but older women, especially those in their mid-30s, were also asking for it. Under regulations the morning-after pill cannot be sold without a doctor's prescription.
The pill, mainly Levonelle, is legally available over the counter at chemist shops in the UK, including in Northern Ireland.
Pharmacists in the Border areas of the Republic say they are sought most weekends for over-the-counter sales of the pill by visiting women and young girls from the North who are unaware of the ban here.
Mr Guckian, who has two pharmacies in Sligo town, said he would not advocate what was an emergency measure as the only form of contraception. He said the morning-after pill did not provide protection against sexually transmitted diseases.
"But we believe it should be available as an emergency measure for women who cannot contact their own doctor and say they are desperate for the morning-after pill. It is most effective in the first 24 hours. Any delay for the customer could be critical."
He said the over-the-counter system worked well in the UK. His union, which represents most retail pharmacies in Ireland, is urging the Government and the Irish Medicines Board - which regulates the availability of drugs in the Republic - to add the pill to the list of medicines that may be sold without prescription.