After long delay, it's time for morning after

By: Christien Bradt

Posted: 12/5/06

The emergency contraceptive Plan B, known popularly as "the morning-after pill," became available over-the-counter for the first time Nov. 1. Pharmacists are now able to sell the oral contraceptives without a prescription to anyone providing a valid photo ID as proof that they are 18 or older.
Plan B is taken by mouth and can reduce a woman's chance of becoming pregnant after having unprotected sex down to 2.7 percent if taken within 72 hours of intercourse. If the drug is taken within 24 hours, the risk of pregnancy is reduced to 0.4 percent.
The contraceptive is otherwise known as Levonorgestrel and comes in a pack of two pills, both of which must be taken to ensure the contraceptive's effectiveness. Levonorgestrel has been used in birth control pills for 35 years and is considered very safe.
The availability of this drug as an over-the-counter emergency contraceptive may signal the end to a very messy battle between the FDA, the White House and both anti-abortion and abortion rights interest groups.
The FDA approved the first emergency contraceptive product as prescription-only in 1998. By April 2003, an application to approve Plan B as an over-the-counter emergency contraceptive was submitted to the FDA. The FDA reviewed the application in a joint meeting of advisory councils in December 2003.
The advisors voted unanimously in favor of the safety of Levonorgestrel being used as an emergency contraceptive in an over-the-counter setting and voted 23-4 in favor of making the drug available over the counter.
The FDA, in an unprecedented decision against their advisory boards, issued a "Not Approvable" letter denying Plan B non-prescription status. The decision called into question the integrity of the FDA's decision making process which had previously shown little evidence of allowing politics to influence their scientific work.
The decision was reversed this August amidst the protests of anti-abortion lawmakers, politicians and religious leaders.
Though individual pharmacists may refuse to sell Plan B for their personal moral reasons, women concerned after having unprotected sex may now buy the contraceptive as soon as they need it instead of waiting for a prescription. Plan B is available at pharmacies, hospital emergency rooms and from some physicians. It can be bought for between $25 and $45 with proof of age.
The controversial drug became available quietly, but it is sure to inspire more opposition as the abortion rights and women's interest groups urge the FDA to lower the age limit in the near future.