This morning, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the first over-the-counter birth control pill, a watershed in allowing women to make their own reproductive health decisions. With the FDA's decision, a doctor's prescription is no longer needed to access birth control pills:
"The medication, called Opill, will become the most effective birth control method available over the counter — more effective at preventing pregnancy than condoms, spermicides and other nonprescription methods. Experts in reproductive health said its availability could be especially useful for young women, teenagers and those who have difficulty dealing with the time, costs or logistical hurdles involved in visiting a doctor to obtain a prescription.
The pill’s manufacturer, Perrigo Company, based in Dublin, said Opill would most likely become available from stores and online retailers in the United States in early 2024."
The company did not say how much the medication would cost — a key question that will help determine how many people will use the pill — but Frédérique Welgryn, Perrigo’s global vice president for women’s health, said in a statement that the company was committed to making the pill “accessible and affordable to women and people of all ages.” Ms. Welgryn has also said the company would have a consumer assistance program to provide the pill at no cost to some women." (our emphasis)
With the reactionary Supreme Court and Republican-controlled state governments determined to eliminate options for women seeking to terminate unwanted pregnancies after overturning Roe v. Wade, having an especially reliable contraceptive to avoid pregnancy, and one that is easily available and affordable, will have enormous impacts on women's lives.
