Pharmacists: Period products available, issue is demand (The Tribune)

Oct. 10 2025 – The Tribune

Equality Bahamas Founder Alicia Wallace featured in The Tribune on October 10,  2025.

From The Tribune:

PHARMACISTS are pushing back against claims that women face limited choices in menstrual products, insisting that nearly any item can be sourced upon request.

Their response follows Equality Bahamas president Alicia Wallace’s recent call for government action to “address the limited choice” of menstrual products in the country by investing in local manufacturing and ensuring items are sold tax-free in stores and pharmacies. Ms Wallace argued that newer alternatives to traditional pads and tampons—such as menstrual cups, discs, and period underwear—are not widely available, and that styles, sizes, and materials remain restricted.

Pharmacists, however, say the issue is less about access and more about demand. They said most pharmacies will order or refer customers for any product not currently in stock, and that limited shelf variety often reflects low sales volume rather than unwillingness to import.

Rainya Pinder, head pharmacist at Smitty’s Pharmacy, said menstrual cups are routinely stocked and “sell out a lot,” but acknowledged that carrying full size ranges of period underwear is challenging for smaller stores.