Drugmaker seeks approval for first nonprescription birth control pill in U.S.
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FDA: Approval Sought for Non-Prescription Birth Control Pill
Last updated Aug 11, 2022
Image credit: AP [via NBC News]Facts
- On Mon., just weeks after SCOTUS overturned Roe v. Wade, the FDA received its first-ever application for an over-the-counter birth control pill from the France-based firm, HRA Pharma, a subsidiary of Perrigo Company.[1]
- HRA began readying the pill, under the brand name Opill, for their application in 2015 and expects an FDA decision within 10 months. If approved, Opill could be available next year.[2]
- The non-estrogen pill was already approved in 1973, but only with a prescription.[3]
- The only birth control drug currently available without a prescription is the emergency contraceptive pill.[3]
- The application comes months after more than 50 Democrats in the House Pro-Choice Caucus penned a letter urging the FDA to urgently review over-the-counter birth control.[4]
- The FDA is already facing political scrutiny after expanding access to abortion pills last year.[5]
Spin
Democratic narrative
This comes at the perfect time as women in the US need as many options as possible to take charge of their reproductive health in the wake of the abhorrent Roe v. Wade reversal. Oral contraceptive has been available and proven safe through prescription for 60 years, and it's about time they become even more accessible.
Republican narrative
Despite some claims, Republicans aren't targeting birth control measures, such as oral contraceptives. What responsible state GOP leaders are doing, however, is curbing unethical abortion pills as a logical extension of the recent SCOTUS ruling.
