Morning After Pill Available Without a Prescription for Women 18 and Older

Ivanhoe Newswire
Friday, August 25, 2006; 12:00 AM

(Ivanhoe Newswire) -- The U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced its plans to allow the sale of morning after birth control to women older than age 18. Women 17 and younger will still need a doctor's prescription.

Plan B is a higher dose of regular birth control that can lower the risk of pregnancy by up to 89 percent when taken within 72 hours of unprotected sex. Contraceptive advocates have said Plan B could reduce the nation's 3 million annual unintended pregnancies by half.

Plan B works by preventing ovulation or fertilization of an egg. It is not meant to abort unborn fetuses. If the woman is already pregnant, manufactures report the pill has no effect on a fetus.

The FDA originally rejected proposals to make Plan B available without a prescription, citing concerns about young women using the pills without a doctor's guidance.

In order to get the FDA's approval, Duramed, a subsidiary of Barr Pharmaceuticals has agreed to:

Hold nonprescription and prescription versions of the pill behind the counters of pharmacies only, not in convenience stores or gas stations

Sell nonprescription Plan B strictly to women age 18 and older, with photo identification, thus conforming to the age restrictions currently on tobacco products

Keep both nonprescription and prescription versions of the pill in completely different packaging, making them distinguishable from one another

Track whether or not pharmacists are enforcing the age restriction, by sending anonymous shoppers to buy Plan B

Duramed will conduct a national education campaign to raise awareness of emergency contraception

Nonprescription sales of Plan B are planned to begin by the end of this year.

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SOURCE: FDA News release