What are the objections to making Plan B available over the counter?
The FDA originally said no to Barr Pharmaceuticals’ request in 2004, citing in part concern over young teens using the drug without a doctor’s supervision. Opponents of the drug also say that easier availability could encourage teens to have sex and might increase the spread of sexually transmitted diseases. Some anti-abortion groups also debate how Plan B works. They say it could act to prevent implantation of a fertilized egg, thus making it, in their view, a drug that causes abortion rather than a contraceptive. Supporters counter that making the product more widely available could greatly reduce the risk of unintended pregnancy and the need for abortion. Aren’t there ways around the last-minute rush to get a prescription? Through collaborative agreements between individual physicians and pharmacists, women can get Plan B without a visit to a health care provider in nine states: Alaska, California, Hawaii, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Mexico, Vermont and Washington. The
