Last week, age restrictions were lifted and Plan B will now be available for over-the-counter use. Women of all ages now will be able to purchase Plan B One-Step, an emergency contraceptive without any age descriptions or pharmacy visits.
With health measures in mind, women’s reproductive health groups have been pushing for a more convenient way to receive Plan B since the early 2000s.
In 2011, the FDA granted access for Plan B to be sold over the counter but it was eventually overruled by the Health and Human Services, or HHS, with concerns that girls as young as 11, would be able to purchase the drug without a prescription. From then, HHS decided that the emergency contraception would completely deny over-the-counter sales and would not sell to anyone under 17 without a prescription.
That was the case up until this past April when the Obama administration was ordered by a federal judge to remove all restrictions on the contraceptive.
Aug. 1 was the first day that pharmacies could move contraceptive pills from the pharmacy for over-the-counter use. In local pharmacies such as the CVS on M.A.C. Avenue, Plan B is now found in the family planning aisle along side other contraceptions.
According to CVS Director of Public Relations Michael DeAngelis, CVS pharmacies nationwide will have the emergency contraceptive ready for purchase for customers regardless of age or gender.
“We are following FDA guidelines regarding the sale of Plan B One-Step as a nonprescription product with no age restriction and it is now available in our stores as an over-the-counter item,” DeAngelis said.
In order to prevent possible thefts of the usually $49.99 product, DeAngelis said Plan B One-Step is merchandised within an individual encasement that is removed when the customer brings it to the checkout.
Gene Burns, professor of social relations and policy, said he is surprised this ordeal hasn’t happened sooner.
“The Republican Bush administration blocked it from being available over the counter for the people under 17 and the Obama administration continued more or less the same policy but less restriction,” Burns said. “It’s very interesting to see that it’s taken this long.”
Social relations and policy senior Elizabeth Witcher also agrees with the new motion of making Plan B available to anyone.
“I think over the counter access to Plan B is a good thing,” Witcher said. “Lifting restrictions to a method of birth control simply gives women more control over their own bodies, an issue that ought not be politicized.
“If lawmakers are actually concerned about preteen and teenage pregnancy, efforts ought to be put towards establishing comprehensive sexual education programs in all public schools.”
According to Burns, he thinks the new law will help some people, but overall, it will not make that big of a difference for everyone. He can’t imagine that those people who always are having unprotected sex suddenly will be taking Plan B, stating it’s more likely going to help those who use contraceptive pretty well and mess up.
“I’m sure the 16-year-old kid who had sex and didn’t think about it, that this will give them a lot of peace of mind,” Burns said.
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