National Abortion Federation Blog: Saporta Reporter

Yesterday, Spain announced plans to make Plan B available over-the-counter in pharmacies without a prescription. Plan B, also known as emergency contraception, will be sold with no age restrictions within the next three months.

Currently, access to Plan B varies greatly by region. Some areas of Spain make it available free of charge in government health clinics, while other areas have more restrictive policies. Women in these areas are sometimes forced to visit several doctors before finding one who will prescribe Plan B. The new measure will require all regions to dispense emergency contraception without a prescription.

This broadened access to Plan B follows Spain’s announced preparations to draft legislation easing the country’s restrictive abortion law.

>Learn more about international abortion issues.

Labels: Contraception, international, Plan B, Spain

While Plan B has been approved to be sold on drugstore shelves instead of behind-the-counter in Canada, many women may still face challenges in accessing the drug in a timely manner. A reporter with the Edmonton Sun anonymously called 10 drug stores in the Edmonton area and found that none of them offered the medication on pharmacy shelves, only behind the counter. The National Association of Pharmacy Regulatory Authorities approved Plan B (also known as emergency contraception) for over the counter sale in Canada in mid May.

>Learn more about emergency contraception.

Labels: Canada, Contraception, Plan B

This week, the National Association of Pharmacy Regulatory Authorities (NAPRA) has accepted a recommendation and approved Plan B (also known as emergency contraception) for over-the-counter sale. Under current rules in Canada, women who want to buy Plan B have to ask pharmacy staff for the drug, a condition critics say may discourage some women from using it to prevent unwanted pregnancies.

Allowing Plan B to be sold on drugstore shelves instead of behind-the-counter will give Canadian women the ability to easily access the medication in time for it to be an effective option.

NAPRA advises Canada's provincial regulatory authorities, which will have final say in adopting the new policy in their own regions.

>Learn more about emergency contraception.

Labels: access, Canada, Contraception, Plan B

Today we released the following statement supporting the recommendation of the National Drug Scheduling Advisory Committee (NDSAC) to the National Association of Pharmacy Regulatory Authorities (NAPRA) to allow Plan B (also known as emergency contraception) to be sold over-the-counter:

The recent NDSAC recommendation is an important endorsement to allow Canadian women the ability to easily access Plan B in time for it to be an effective option. In August 2007, NAF sent a letter to NAPRA supporting the request to allow Plan B to be sold over-the counter.

Changing the status of Plan B from behind-the-counter to over-the-counter would allow more women to prevent unintended pregnancies. Additionally, allowing Plan B to be sold over-the-counter would also reduce the cost, since a consultation with a pharmacist would not be required.

Plan B contains a concentrated dose of the progestin hormone found in daily birth control pills, and reduces the risk of pregnancy by up to 89 percent when taken within 72 hours of unprotected intercourse.

Labels: access, Canada, Contraception, Plan B

This week the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia dismissed a lawsuit, which challenged the FDA’s approval of Plan B (also known as emergency contraception) for over-the-counter sales to adults. After years of politically-charged debate, the FDA made Plan B available without a prescription in August 2007, but only for adults.

Anti-choice groups were seeking a reversal of this policy, but they failed "to identify a single individual who has been harmed by Plan B's OTC (over-the-counter) availability," according to the ruling.

In a separate case, the Center for Reproductive Rights is also challenging the FDA’s policy concerning over-the-counter access to Plan B; however, their case argues that restricting the drug for girls under 18 was based on politics and not science.

Labels: access, anti-choice, Contraception, Plan B

Roman Catholic bishops in Connecticut have reversed their position on Plan B by agreeing to let hospital personnel at the state’s four Catholic hospitals administer emergency contraception to rape victims. Today a new state law goes into effect, which requires medical personnel at state hospitals to provide survivors of rape with emergency contraception. The new law will increase women’s timely access to emergency contraception. Plan B can lower the risk of pregnancy by up to 89 percent if taken within 72 hours of unprotected sex.

According to Connecticut Sexual Assault Crisis Services Inc., 40 percent of survivors or rape were not offered or did not receive the full dose of emergency contraception at the hospitals where they were treated during the first half of 2006.

Labels: access, Contraception, Plan B

Today marks the one year anniversary of the FDA approval of Plan B (also known as emergency contraception) for over-the-counter sales to adults. In 2003, two FDA expert advisory committees voted overwhelmingly to recommend that Plan B be made available without a prescription, but political agendas kept the issue in heated debate for nearly three years. This approval was an important step in ensuring that women are able to access Plan B in time for it to be an effective option.

According to an Associated Press article in this week’s Washington Post, since the over-the-counter approval of Plan B: several states have enacted laws to improve rape survivors' access to the medication in hospital emergency rooms; legislation has been introduced in the U.S. Congress to ensure that women serving in the U.S. military overseas have access to the pills at their bases; and pro-choice groups have advocated with national pharmacy chains to make it readily available.

Despite its approval, some women continue to encounter pharmacies which refuse to stock the medication, and the age restriction creates medically unjustified barriers for teens. There is still much we can do to ensure that women have access to a full range of safe reproductive health care options including timely, straightforward access to emergency contraception.

Labels: access, Contraception, Plan B

Here is the press release we issued today on Plan B (also known as emergency contraception):

Vicki Saporta, President and CEO of the National Abortion Federation, released the following statement today welcoming the decision of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to allow Plan B to be sold without a prescription to adults, but expressed concern that women under 18 will still need a prescription:

The FDA’s decision permitting Plan B to be sold over the counter is an important step in ensuring that women are able to access Plan B in time for it to be an effective option. The agency’s previous ruling requiring that women obtain a prescription was not only medically unjustified, it was also a barrier to obtaining timely access to emergency contraception. By allowing the over-the-counter sale of Plan B, more women will now be able to prevent unintended pregnancies.

The approval of over the counter use of Plan B is a victory of science over politics and is long overdue. It has been nearly three years since two FDA expert advisory committees voted overwhelmingly to recommend that Plan B be made available without a prescription. Yet, it is extremely disappointing that age restrictions will create medically unjustified barriers for teens.

Plan B contains a concentrated dose of the progestin hormone found in daily birth control pills, and reduces the risk of pregnancy by up to 89 percent when taken within 72 hours of unprotected intercourse.

American women deserve to have access to a full range of safe reproductive health care options. Timely use of emergency contraception could prevent as many as half of the 3 million unintended pregnancies that occur each year in the US.

Labels: access, Contraception, Plan B

I was very surprised by President Bush’s comments yesterday at a White House news conference.

Bush was questioned by the Washington Examiner about Plan B and said, “I believe that Plan B ought to require a prescription for minors.”

Bush said he backed acting commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration, Dr. Andrew von Eschenbach, who told Barr Pharmaceuticals, the makers of Plan B last month: “We believe that the appropriate age for [over-the-counter] access is 18.”
Bush noted at yesterday’s news conference that, “I support Andy’s decisions.”

I was quoted in today’s Washington Examiner on this issue and noted:
“This represents a turnaround in the position of the administration, which has been opposed to making Plan B available over the counter. It’s a step in the right direction. And I hope it means that the FDA will approve Plan B for over-the-counter use this week.”

Labels: access, Contraception, Plan B

It has been more than seven years since Plan B, the morning-after pill, was approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for prescription use as an emergency contraceptive. In 2003, an FDA panel voted 23-4 recommending that Plan B be sold over the counter, yet three years later there is still debate about allowing Plan B to be sold without a prescription.

Last month, the FDA announced that they would discuss making Plan B available without a prescription to women at least 18 years of age or older.

>View a timeline of the FDA’s handling of Plan B

Labels: Contraception, Plan B

Yesterday, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced that they will discuss making Plan B available without a prescription to women at least 18 years of age or older. Plan B can prevent pregnancy if taken within 72 hours after unprotected sex. The announcement came one day before Acting FDA Commissioner Andrew C. von Eschenbach's Senate confirmation hearing. Senator Hillary Clinton (D-NY) and Senator Patty Murray (D-WA) have vowed to block a vote on von Eschenbach's confirmation until the FDA makes a decision on Plan B.


Read the Washington Post article

Labels: Contraception, Plan B

President Bush has nominated Dr. Andrew C. von Eschenbach to head the Food and Drug Administration, but pro-choice senators have vowed not to confirm him until the FDA issues its long awaited decision on whether to allow over-the-counter sales of Plan B, an emergency contraceptive. Read the New York Times story.

The Indianapolis Star has a story about how pro-choice religious leaders are speaking out against anti-choice legislation in Indiana.

Labels: anti-choice, Contraception, Plan B