FDA Approves Plan B for Over the Counter Sale
Food and Drug Administration Ends Political Posturing,
Allows Over-the-Counter Access to "Morning-After" Pill Pro-choice group praises Sens. Clinton and Murray for leading the fight against political interference at the FDA Cleveland, OH- Kellie Copeland, executive director of NARAL Pro-Choice Ohio, applauded the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) long overdue decision to grant over-the-counter status to the emergency contraceptive Plan B®, also known as the "morning-after" pill. "Finally, the FDA put sound science before politics and made this safe, effective birth-control option more accessible to women over 18," said Copeland. "The American public and medical experts overwhelmingly support increased access to the ‘morning-after’ pill as a way to prevent unintended pregnancy and reduce the need for abortion.” NARAL Pro-Choice Ohio has been a leader in efforts to increase access to emergency contraception. Due to the three year delay in the FDA’s approval to sell Plan B ® over the counter, NARAL Pro-Choice Ohio was working to enact state legislation to allow pharmacists to dispense EC without a prescription in Ohio while simultaneously demanding the FDA end its delay on approving over-the-counter access to Plan B®. Throughout this campaign to gain greater access to emergency contraception, NARAL Pro-Choice Ohio channeled thousands of messages from its member activists to the FDA and state lawmakers, urging them to make this birth-control option available without a prescription. "Americans are tired of the divisive attacks on women’s reproductive-health care," Copeland continued. "Finally, under tremendous pressure from scientists and activists nationwide, the FDA stood up to the Bush administration and its far-right base to help women prevent unintended pregnancy by guaranteeing greater access to the ‘morning-after’ pill." Unfortunately, when approving over the counter status for Plan B ®, the FDA restricted access to the medication to women over 18 years of age. This restriction ignores the need to reduce teen pregnancy and sends the wrong message about the safety of this product. The FDA’s own experts found no medical reason to restrict EC to women 18 and over and have ignored volumes of scientific data that shows that EC is safe for women of all ages. Experts, like the American Academy of Pediatrics, recommend the medication be available for women of all ages. NARAL Pro-Choice Ohio will continue to work to ensure that Plan B is affordable and accessible to all women in Ohio. Emergency contraception, if taken within 72-120 hours after sex, is up to 89 percent effective at preventing pregnancy. Last month, after more than three years of delay, the FDA signaled that it was willing to consider giving women greater access to this safe, effective birth-control option.
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