First over-the-counter birth control pill OPILL gets FDA approval

[NRSKarenRN, BSN, RN]

Opill contains just progestin. RX contraceptives cost $15-$30/month, cost to be determined. Expect drug to hit the market in 2024. Karen

Philadelphia Inquirer 7/13/23

First over-the-counter birth control pill gets FDA approval
 

Quote

 

WASHINGTON — Federal regulators on Thursday approved the nation's first over-the-counter birth control pill in a landmark decision that will soon allow American women and girls to obtain contraceptive medication as easily as they buy aspirin and eyedrops.

The Food and Drug Administration cleared once-a-day Opill to be sold without a prescription, making it the first such medication to be moved out from behind the pharmacy counter. The manufacturer, Ireland-based Perrigo, won't start shipping the pill until early next year, and there will be no age restrictions on sales.

... Over-the-counter medicines are generally much cheaper than prescriptions, but they typically aren't covered by insurance.

Forcing insurers to cover over-the-counter birth control would require a regulatory change by the federal government, which women's advocates are urging the Biden administration to implement....