Over-the-Counter Birth Control Pills (Probably) Coming Soon

The US’s first over-the-counter birth control pill may be on its way. An FDA advisory panel voted unanimously to approve Opill, a progestin-only birth control pill to be taken daily to prevent pregnancy. Birth control pills are already available without a prescription in more than 100 countries .

The company that makes Opill has yet to announce how much it will cost, and the New York Times reports that it’s unclear whether the Affordable Care Act requirement will cover prescription birth control without a copay for over-the-counter pills as well. The FDA’s final decision on whether to approve Opill is expected this August.

What is Opill contraceptive?

Opill is a progestin-only birth control pill sometimes referred to as a “mini pill”. Most people who take prescription birth control pills take combination pills that contain both progestin and estrogen. We have more information here about the different types of birth control pills .

Combination pills are more popular because they don’t have to be taken at the same time each day, and because the added estrogen can help ease periods and treat certain hormone-related conditions and symptoms, such as endometriosis. But combination pills are not recommended for people who are breastfeeding or at increased risk of blood clots, including smokers over 35 years of age.

Mini-pills like Opill have fewer contraindications, making them arguably safer for over-the-counter use. But if you’re looking for a pill that can control acne or heavy periods, you may prefer a combo pill over a mini pill. However, mini-pills will prevent pregnancy in the same way as combination pills if you take them as directed.

Why did it take so long?

Most countries have some form of birth control pill available without a prescription, but the US has never had one. This is partly because reproductive health is overly politicized here, but another reason is that there is no middle ground between prescription and over-the-counter drugs in the US. In some other countries, people must be tested at a pharmacy to make sure the pills are right for them; in the US there is no such category. Medicines are either available without a prescription or not.

There was a lot of discussion at the FDA Advisory Group meeting about whether people can be trusted to read and understand the instructions that came with Opill. For example, progestin-only pills must be taken consecutively at the same time each day. The drug information also includes warnings about who should not take Opill and the fact that it does not protect against sexually transmitted diseases, among other things.

The things you need to understand to take Opill are pretty standard, but panel members and people who oppose OTC status have raised concerns that some of the clients may be teenagers who barely know how sex works, let alone like childbirth. birth control pills work. However, each OTC drug has its own warnings and instructions, and customers are trusted to understand them and make decisions accordingly.

Another common objection is that by forcing people to see a doctor for a prescription for birth control, they are also contacting a health care provider who can recommend cancer screening and other medical care. But we don’t make other drugs dependent on attending screenings; You can buy allergy medicine without a prescription without needing a colonoscopy or even, for that matter, an allergy test.

Why over-the-counter birth control is important

The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and the American Family Physicians Association have long argued that birth control should be available without a prescription. One speaker at the FDA meeting noted that the contraceptive methods currently available without a prescription are the least effective methods we have.

Being able to afford to see a doctor and see a doctor just to get a prescription for birth control is not required; According to the medical organizations I mentioned above, birth control pills are safe enough to be sold without a prescription. If the FDA agrees, we will finally be able to buy them this way.