US FDA Considers Approval of Over-the-Counter Birth Control Pill

The FDA will meet in May to discuss whether to allow a birth control pill to be sold over-the-counter in the US for the first time. French drugmaker HRA Pharma applied to switch its Opill pill from prescription-only to over-the-counter last July. Hormone-based pills are among the most common forms of birth control in the US, but have always required a prescription. If approved, Opill would join emergency contraceptives, like Plan B, on pharmacy shelves. Reproductive rights organizations and leading medical associations have supported making birth control available without a prescription to overcome existing barriers to access and reduce the number of unwanted pregnancies.