Birth control pills that have been available for decades through prescription are going to become over-the-counter later this month, widening access to contraception at a time when abortion rights have been drastically curtailed. The Food and Drug Administration has approved the first oral contraceptive pill to be sold without a doctor’s prescription, paving the way for Americans to buy it as quickly as they pick up aspirin in stores. The FDA’s decision to approve the drug, called Opill, is a milestone for the “Free the Pill” movement that has been advocating for years to make it available in stores.
The American-Irish pill maker, Perrigo Company, announced Monday that it had already shipped the medication to major retailers and pharmacies to put on shelves nationwide. The pills will be sold in one-month and three-month packs, with a suggested retail price of $19.99 and $49.99, respectively. They will also be available online on Opill.com.
Perrigo says it is working to ensure the drug will be “affordable and accessible.” It will be one of the most inexpensive daily oral contraceptives on the market, according to a company release. And because it contains no estrogen, the company is also seeking to reassure patients that it will not increase a woman’s risk of endometrial cancer, ovarian cysts, or vaginal bleeding.
The move to approve the pill is expected to help reduce unintended pregnancy, which accounts for about half of all pregnancies in the United States each year. It could be a lifeline for people who often miss their doses because they forget to refill their prescription or run out of money before they can see their doctor, a 2021 survey found. And it could be a big help for teenagers who have struggled to find an over-the-counter option.
However, experts warn that the new law, which will allow pharmacists to prescribe any oral or transdermal form of birth control a patient requests, is only one piece of a giant puzzle that must be put together to expand access. Increasing the number of places where women can get contraception is essential, but ensuring that they are effective and affordable is critical, too, said Kimya Forouzan, principal state policy associate at the Guttmacher Institute, which has been tracking state laws on pharmacist-prescribed birth control since 2016.
In New Jersey, Gov. Phil Murphy signed a law to allow pharmacists to dispense contraceptives in January. Still, it was delayed for months while two regulatory boards drafted and advanced rules for participating pharmacies. In September, the Board of Medical Examiners and the State Board of Pharmacy finally cleared the implementation. The state’s pharmacists will be able to give patients oral, transdermal, and vaginal birth control without a prescription beginning this spring. It will join a handful of other states where pharmacists can dispense contraception, including Oregon and California. It will align New Jersey with about 30 other states already passing similar laws.
