FDA panel backs over-the-counter birth control pill
Federal health advisers are recommending that a decades-old birth control pill be sold without a prescription
WASHINGTON (AP) — Federal health advisers said Wednesday that a decades-old birth control pill should be sold without a prescription, paving the way for a likely U.S. approval of the first over-the-counter contraceptive medication.
The panel of FDA advisers voted unanimously in favor of drugmaker Perrigo's request to sell its once-a-day medication over the counter. The recommendation came at the close of a two-day meeting focused on company research into whether women could safely and effectively take the pill without professional supervision. A final FDA decision is expected this summer.
If the FDA follows the nonbinding recommendation, Perrigo's drug, Opill, would become the first contraceptive pill to be moved out from behind the pharmacy counter onto store shelves. Currently, a prescription is required in the U.S.
The outside experts said they were confident that women of all ages could use the drug appropriately without seeing a health provider first.
