Words by GOLD newsdesk
The Perrigo company HRA Pharma has requested that the FDA make its birth control pill available over the counter.
The application requests that HRA’s ‘mini pill’, or non-oestrogen pill, Opill would undergo an Rx to OTC switch, becoming an easily accessible over-the-counter medication. If approved, this will be the first ever over-the-counter birth control pill in the US, offering an additional option for women's reproductive health.
This comes shortly after the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe vs Wade, which led to nationwide debates and protests around reproductive rights.
Frederique Welgryn, Chief Strategic Operations and Innovation Officer at HRA Pharma commented that “moving a safe and effective prescription birth control pill to OTC will help even more women and people access contraception without facing unnecessary barriers.”
Top medical organisations such as the American College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, the American Medical Association and the American Academy of Physicians, have previously communicated their support for this move.
According to HRA Pharma, nearly one-third of adult woman in the US have experienced difficulty when trying to obtain a prescription or refill for a contraceptive pill, patch or ring.