In a surprising move, President Bush implied yesterday that he believes that Plan B, or emergency contraception (EC), should be available over-the-counter without a prescription for women over 18 years old. In a news conference, Bush said, “I believe that Plan B ought to be – ought to require a prescription for minors, is what I believe. And I support [Andrew von Eschenbach’s] decision.”
Von Eschenbach, Bush’s nominee to head the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), recently announced that the FDA would reconsider Barr Laboratories’ application to make Plan B, a brand of emergency contraception, available over the counter, if Barr resubmitted its application so that only women ages 18 and over could access EC over the counter. Women 17 and younger would still need a prescription to access EC.
