Following the rejection in May of its petition for over-the-counter (OTC) status for the emergency contraceptive Plan B, Barr Laboratories submitted an application last Thursday, July 22, to make Plan B available over-the-counter for women age 16 and older. The age qualifications on this application come in response to the FDA’s statement of concern about allowing young teenagers access to emergency contraception according to the Associated Press. The FDA has never previously approved an application for OTC status that is limited by age. Under the new application, Plan B will continue to be available as a prescription-only product for women 15 years of age and younger. Barr laboratories reports that 101 countries currently offer emergency contraception and 33 of these do not require a prescription. Advocates of emergency contraceptionsay that OTC status could prevent half of the 3 million unintended pregnancies that occur in the US each year, according to the Associated Press. The FDA now has six months in which it will review the application and come to a decision. TAKE ACTION about the Feminist Majority Foundation’s campaign to expand access to EC on college campuses LEARN MORE about the Feminist Majority Foundation’s campaign to expand access to EC on college campuses LEARN MORE Click here to read women’s narratives about barriers or successes in accessing reproductive health and family planning services. DONATE to support FMF’s work to win over-the-counter status for emergency contraception
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