Why It Matters
The drug, called Opill, approved for over-the-counter sale by the Food and Drug Administration last year, will be the most effective form of birth control available without a prescription, research shows – more effective than condoms, spermicides and other non-prescription drugs. way.
Reproductive health experts say its availability could be especially beneficial for teenagers, young women, and others who struggle to deal with the time, cost or logistical barriers involved in visiting the a doctor to get a prescription.
Some experts said they thought it might be a particularly good option for teenagers, who might rely on condoms.
Lupe M. Rodriguez, the executive director of the National Latina Institute for Reproductive Justice, said in a statement Monday that “over-the-counter access to birth control will greatly reduce barriers such as transportation, cost, language, and documentation.”
Opill is not a new drug — it was approved for prescription use 50 years ago. Reproductive health experts and members of an FDA advisory panel cited its long history of safety and effectiveness. It is 93 percent effective in preventing pregnancy with regular use. Women with certain conditions — mainly breast cancer or unexplained genital bleeding — should not take Opill. But for most women, “the risk is very low, and almost nonexistent if they read and follow the labeling,” Karen Murry, the deputy director of the FDA’s office of nonprescription drugs, said in a memo. explaining the approval decision.
Since the Supreme Court repealed the national right to abortion in 2022, the accessibility of contraception has become an even more urgent issue. But before that, the move to make an over-the-counter pill available for all ages received widespread support from health specialists and reproductive and youth groups.
Opill’s approval faced little public opposition from conservative groups that are often critical of measures that increase access to abortion, emergency contraception and sex education. Opposition appears to come mainly from some Catholic organizations and Students for Life Action.
In a 2022 survey by healthcare research organization KFFmore than three-quarters of women of reproductive age said they favored an over-the-counter pill, mainly because of convenience.
Details
Opill is known as a “mini pill” because it contains only one hormone, progestin, as opposed to “combination” pills, which contain both progestin and estrogen. Cadence Health, a company that makes the combination pill, is also in talks with the FDA about applying for over-the-counter status.
Perrigo said Monday that Opill can be preordered from some online retailers. A three-month package of Opill will also be sold by retailers for $49.99. The company’s Opill.com website will also sell three-month packs, as well as a six-month supply priced at $89.99.
In its announcement, Perrigo said the company will provide a “cost assistance program” to “help qualified low-income, uninsured individuals obtain Opill at low or no cost.”
What happens next?
Making the pill affordable to all women remains a goal for reproductive health advocates, many of whom said Monday that the cost is beyond the reach of some populations.
“As a high school student in Texas who struggled to take the pill under the current system, and faced social stigma while trying, I know firsthand how important it is to make sure young people can walk into a store and have easy access. the contraception they need. ,” said Maia Lopez, 17, member of the FreeThePill Youth Council at the nonprofit Advocates for Youth, in a statement. “While today is a big step forward, the price is still steep for many teenagers I know.”
The Affordable Care Act requires health insurance plans to pay for prescription contraception, but not over-the-counter methods. Some states have laws mandating coverage of over-the-counter birth control, but most do not.
The KFF survey found that 10 percent of women were unable or unwilling to pay any cost for contraception. About 40 percent pay $10 or less per month, and about a third pay between $11 and $20.
Three Democratic senators – Patty Murray of Washington, Mazie Hirono of Hawaii and Catherine Cortez Masto of Nevada – issued a statement Monday urging passage of the law to require insurers to cover over-the-counter birth control. They also pressured the federal government to do something similar under a executive order to improve access to contraception that President Biden said signed last year.
“The work doesn’t stop here – more needs to be done to ensure that every American can access and buy the pill over the counter,” the senators said.
