First over-the-counter birth control pill in US gets FDA approval
- Birth control pills have been used by tens of millions of women since the 1960s, but until now all of them required a prescription in the US
- About 45 per cent of 6 million annual pregnancies are unintended, with teens, women of colour and those on low incomes struggling to get prescriptions
US officials have approved the first over-the-counter birth control pill, which will let American women and girls buy contraceptive medication from the same aisle as aspirin and eyedrops.
The Food and Drug Administration said on Thursday that it cleared Perrigo’s once-a-day Opill to be sold without a prescription, making it the first such medication in the United States to be moved out from behind the pharmacy counter. The company will not start shipping the pill until early next year, and there will be no age restrictions on sales.
Hormone-based pills have long been the most common form of birth control in the US, used by tens of millions of women since the 1960s. Until now, all of them required a prescription.
Medical societies and women’s health groups have pushed for wider access, noting that an estimated 45 per cent of the 6 million annual pregnancies in the US are unintended. Teens and girls, women of colour and those with low incomes report greater hurdles in getting prescriptions and picking them up.
Some of the challenges can include paying for a doctor’s visit, getting time off from work and finding child care.
“This is really a transformation in access to contraceptive care,” said Kelly Blanchard, president of Ibis Reproductive Health, a non-profit group that supported the approval. “Hopefully this will help people overcome those barriers that exist now.”