Last week the AZ Board of Pharmacy’s rules allowing Pharmacists to Dispense Contraceptives w/o a Physician Prescription became effective. This week brought a potentially bigger change- FDA’s approval of Opill (norgestrel) – a tablet for nonprescription use to prevent pregnancy. This is the first time FDA has approved a daily oral contraceptive approved for use without a prescription.
Approval of this progestin-only oral contraceptive pill supplies a choice for consumers to buy oral contraceptive medicine without a prescription at drug stores, convenience stores and grocery stores, as well as online.
From the FDA’s Decision Memo: The potential benefits of an increase in the ability for consumers to prevent unintended pregnancy (with its attendant medical, economic, and societal harms) outweigh the potential risks of the product in the nonprescription setting.
The manufacturer hasn’t identified a launch price – and how big of a deal this is will in large part be tied to the price consumers would pay over the counter for the product.
