FDA Approves Over the Counter Access to EC
Food and Drug Administration Ends Political Posturing, Allows Over-the-Counter Access to “Morning-After” Pill
Portland, OR- Michele Stranger Hunter, Executive Director of NARAL Pro-Choice Oregon, applauded the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) long overdue decision to grant over-the-counter status to emergency contraception Plan B®, also known as the “morning-after” pill.
“Finally, the FDA put sound science before politics and made this safe, effective birth control option more accessible to women,” said Stranger Hunter. “Oregonians overwhelmingly support increased access to the “morning-after” pill as a way to prevent unintended pregnancy and reduce the need for abortion.”
NARAL Pro-Choice Oregon has been a leader in increasing access to the “morning-after” pill. In its most recent campaign, NARAL Pro-Choice Oregon and coalition partners worked collaboratively with the Oregon Board of Pharmacy to ensure that women receive seamless access in obtaining emergency contraception at the pharmacy. The FDA ruling will further increase access and compliment the seamless access protocols set in place through earlier negotiations.
Through NARAL Pro-Choice Oregon is committed to maintaining personal freedom and encouraging personal responsibility through our Prevention First Program. Increasing access and education on emergency contraception and reducing unintended pregnancies through comprehensive prevention policies, will better the health of all Oregon women.
With today’s FDA ruling, Michele Stranger Hunter cautions that “although women over the age of 18 will now be able to access emergency contraception, requiring those under 18 to get a prescription and find pharmacists to dispense, means that some teens simply won’t have access to the medication and will face unintended pregnancies as a result. While we applaud today’s ruling by the FDA, there is much work left to do in reducing unintended pregnancy and safeguarding women’s reproductive health.”
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