In the U.S., birth control pills must be prescribed; however, this may soon change. According to a Monday statement from HRA Pharma's parent company Perrigo, HRA Pharma has submitted an application to the US Food and Drug Administration for the over-the-counter sale of its "mini-pill."
Opill, a progestin-only pill or mini-pill that has been approved since 1973, is the specific medication in the application.
According to data from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention from 2017 to 2019, more than 65 percent of women aged 15 to 49 use some form of birth control, with 14 percent opting for birth control pills. Oral contraceptives, also known as birth control pills, are extremely effective at preventing pregnancy. They are also used to treat certain medical conditions, such as endometriosis.
While online delivery services for birth control have made it simpler for some people to get birth control pills, they still need a prescription. Medical societies like the American College of Gynecologists and Obstetricians and the American Academy of Family Physicians have supported access to over-the-counter birth control pills as a way to reduce unintended pregnancies and other health outcomes, even though for some people actually getting prescribed the medication may be difficult or expensive.
In the US, condoms and birth control sponges are the only birth control techniques that can be used without a prescription. While barrier techniques such as condoms have the advantage of preventing STDs, they are typically less effective than birth control tablets, IUDs, and other methods that call for a doctor's visit or prescription.
The majority of over-the-counter emergency contraceptives, such as Plan B, Take Action, and other brands that include levonorgestrel, are available without a prescription.
