FDA approves first over-the-counter birth control pill: Colorado Springs community members react
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO)-- The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the first over-the-counter birth control pill.
The pill would be accessible for those who would want to get it at any grocery store just like they would get medication like Tylenol or Advil.
According to the FDA, on Thursday, 'Perrigo’s once-a-day Opill' was cleared to be sold without a prescription. Making it the first such medication to be moved out from behind the pharmacy counter.
The company won’t start shipping the pill until early next year, and there will be no age restrictions on the sales.
Of course, not everyone agrees with this. Julie Bailey with Respect Life Apostolate believes this medication opens the door for other medications to get approved to become over-the-counter.
"We got young women who are still developing who not only do not have a doctor's note or involvement before they access this medication but there is no requirement for parental involvement. So it completely cuts the parents and medical professionals out of this decision," said Julie Bailey, Director of Respect Life Apostolate.
"My main concern is that this is a disservice to women," added Bailey.
However, some doctors in Colorado Springs believe this is a game changer, especially for their patient base. Autumn Orser, with Peak Vista, believes giving her patients access to birth control from a pharmacy will eliminate barriers.
"A lot of our patients missed their contraceptive deadline and ended up with unintended pregnancies."
The Centers for Disease Control estimates that up to 50% of pregnancies every year are unintended. Orser believes this new step forward will help minimize that number in the long run.
"We have a lot of data that shows that this is very safe in anybody that has gone through puberty, and so being able to get this over the counter, being able to follow the easy-to-read instructions on the back of the box is going to be an easy win for patients regardless of age," added Orser.
