FDA Advisory Committee backs morning-after pill becoming OTC

[Hammer]

😎

Link

 

[Heisenberg]

Good.

 

[vi edit]

One part of me says: Good, it's nice for concenting adults that have a broken condem or just a bad decision while inebriated.

But the other part of me says: Bad decision because it removes pretty much all responsibility and will be used as a fix-all for all people that can't control their hormones.

Maybe by limiting the age of purchase to 21 and anyone under that requires the accompanying of a parent would help prevent teens from thinking they could erase the "oopsie" they had the night before easily.

Don't know what to say 😕

It's better than abortion, but pomotes poor responsibility.

 

[Hammer]

its being called "Plan B". I think the name says it all. If something goes wrong (condom breaks, pull out late, whatever), you at least have an option.

 

I think it's great. It's too bad that birth control can't be administered OTC as well, since that would also make it easier for people to have sex safely, instead of saying, "Well I can't afford BC, let's just wing it."

 

[vi edit]

Originally posted by: jumpr
I think it's great. It's too bad that birth control can't be administered OTC as well, since that would also make it easier for people to have sex safely, instead of saying, "Well I can't afford BC, let's just wing it."

Just about any decent sized city over 20,000 people has "family planning" clinics that provide birth control options on a income based price scale. One of my GF's in college only made about $400 a month from her part time job and she only had to pay about $7 a month for her birth control perscription.

[edit]Birth Control(pills) should NEVER be offered OTC. There are just too many variables involved that may prove hazardous to the woman's health if she doesn't consult a doctor first. It also stops the initial doctor's visit needed to get the perscription that may catch STD's, potential cancers, and a whole slew of other things that may show up on a full exam that is given before the perscription is administered.

There is also the myth that it will be cheaper once it goes OTC. That's not true. Many people have found that it costs them more now that drugs are OTC since they can't subsidize it on their insurance. Depends on the drug though.

 

[MegaloManiaK]

Originally posted by: jumpr
I think it's great. It's too bad that birth control can't be administered OTC as well, since that would also make it easier for people to have sex safely, instead of saying, "Well I can't afford BC, let's just wing it."

Traditional birth control can have serious side effects. Not only do you have to do an examination to get it prescribed, they give you 3 months worth and then have you come back for another set of tests to make sure you aren't going to have serious problems.

The side effects can even include death in some rare cases, something about raising your blood pressure.

It's not administered OTC to keep money in the docs pockets, its for your safety (our the safety of your SO in my case)

 

[gopunk]

Originally posted by: vi_edit
One part of me says: Good, it's nice for concenting adults that have a broken condem or just a bad decision while inebriated.

But the other part of me says: Bad decision because it removes pretty much all responsibility and will be used as a fix-all for all people that can't control their hormones.

Maybe by limiting the age of purchase to 21 and anyone under that requires the accompanying of a parent would help prevent teens from thinking they could erase the "oopsie" they had the night before easily.

Don't know what to say 😕

It's better than abortion, but pomotes poor responsibility.

i think as long as people are sufficiently educated that this is only a *backup* and should *not* be your primary form of birth control, things will be fine. condoms already exist and are easily available, so it's not like this will make people more likely to have unprotected sex. don't forget these pills aren't going to be like 50 cents a pop, i doubt kids will start to just have reckless sex and rely on the mo pill.. it's just not economically feasible.

 

Originally posted by: MegaloManiaK

Originally posted by: jumpr
I think it's great. It's too bad that birth control can't be administered OTC as well, since that would also make it easier for people to have sex safely, instead of saying, "Well I can't afford BC, let's just wing it."

Traditional birth control can have serious side effects. Not only do you have to do an examination to get it prescribed, they give you 3 months worth and then have you come back for another set of tests to make sure you aren't going to have serious problems.

The side effects can even include death in some rare cases, something about raising your blood pressure.

It's not administered OTC to keep money in the docs pockets, its for your safety (our the safety of your SO in my case)

But if you don't have insurance (or don't want the pill prescription to show up on your parents' insurance bills), then BC is really really expensive, considering who its target demographic is. I like the idea of family planning clinics though.

 

[vi edit]

Birth Control(pills) should NEVER be offered OTC. There are just too many variables involved that may prove hazardous to the woman's health if she doesn't consult a doctor first. It also stops the initial doctor's visit needed to get the perscription that may catch STD's, potential cancers, and a whole slew of other things that may show up on a full exam that is given before the perscription is administered.

There is also the myth that it will be cheaper once it goes OTC. That's not true. Many people have found that it costs them more now that drugs are OTC since they can't subsidize it on their insurance. Depends on the drug though.

 

[gopunk]

Originally posted by: MegaloManiaK

Originally posted by: jumpr
I think it's great. It's too bad that birth control can't be administered OTC as well, since that would also make it easier for people to have sex safely, instead of saying, "Well I can't afford BC, let's just wing it."

Traditional birth control can have serious side effects. Not only do you have to do an examination to get it prescribed, they give you 3 months worth and then have you come back for another set of tests to make sure you aren't going to have serious problems.

The side effects can even include death in some rare cases, something about raising your blood pressure.

It's not administered OTC to keep money in the docs pockets, its for your safety (our the safety of your SO in my case)

well the morning after pill is just a heavier dosage of traditional birth control...

 

[FeathersMcGraw]

Originally posted by: vi_edit

But the other part of me says: Bad decision because it removes pretty much all responsibility and will be used as a fix-all for all people that can't control their hormones.

I don't think this will encourage promiscuity any more than any other form of contraception. But even if it does, punishing irresponsibility by hanging an infant's life in the balance is borderline child cruelty.

 

[MegaloManiaK]

Originally posted by: jumpr

Originally posted by: MegaloManiaK

Originally posted by: jumpr
I think it's great. It's too bad that birth control can't be administered OTC as well, since that would also make it easier for people to have sex safely, instead of saying, "Well I can't afford BC, let's just wing it."

Traditional birth control can have serious side effects. Not only do you have to do an examination to get it prescribed, they give you 3 months worth and then have you come back for another set of tests to make sure you aren't going to have serious problems.

The side effects can even include death in some rare cases, something about raising your blood pressure.

It's not administered OTC to keep money in the docs pockets, its for your safety (our the safety of your SO in my case)

But if you don't have insurance (or don't want the pill prescription to show up on your parents' insurance bills), then BC is really really expensive, considering who its target demographic is. I like the idea of family planning clinics though.

I to like the idea of the clinic providing it based on income. I don't know how you can view price as an excuse to let people take something that could really hurt them without a doctors advice.

It would be like people who take others pain prescription, only dumber.

 

[ViRGE]

Originally posted by: vi_edit
One part of me says: Good, it's nice for concenting adults that have a broken condem or just a bad decision while inebriated.

But the other part of me says: Bad decision because it removes pretty much all responsibility and will be used as a fix-all for all people that can't control their hormones.

Maybe by limiting the age of purchase to 21 and anyone under that requires the accompanying of a parent would help prevent teens from thinking they could erase the "oopsie" they had the night before easily.

Don't know what to say 😕

It's better than abortion, but pomotes poor responsibility.

The side effects are pretty harsh as I understand it, Vi, so between that and the costs, I can't see anyone using it a lot.

 

[Geekbabe]

Originally posted by: vi_edit
One part of me says: Good, it's nice for concenting adults that have a broken condem or just a bad decision while inebriated.

But the other part of me says: Bad decision because it removes pretty much all responsibility and will be used as a fix-all for all people that can't control their hormones.

Maybe by limiting the age of purchase to 21 and anyone under that requires the accompanying of a parent would help prevent teens from thinking they could erase the "oopsie" they had the night before easily.

Don't know what to say 😕

It's better than abortion, but pomotes poor responsibility.

it beats finding dead babies who were tossed in dumpsters by teenage girls who were too alone and too frightened to even tell anybody they were pregnant.

 

[Kadarin]

I think it's an excellent idea. Of course, I also think every woman who even thinks about using these should do the responsible and intelligent thing and at some point talk with her doctor about it. I also believe that the people who are against this are against it on ideological/religious/moral grounds, but don't want to admit it, preferring to hide behind a minimal safety issue.

"Oh no! This will encourage promiscuity!" You know what, it might encourage people to have sex more, because it empowers women with more choices regarding their bodies, but how is that necessarily a bad thing? People always assume the worst, but with proper education and attitude, sex is a wonderful thing, and we all should be having more of it. We are not living in the 1950's, people, but it seems the religious right wants to bring us right back to that unenlightened time.

 

[Hammer]

Link

Barr Plan B Emergency Contraceptive OTC CARE Program Adequate, Cmte. Says

Barr?s CARE over-the-counter distribution program for the emergency contraceptive Plan B is adequate, members of FDA?s Reproductive Health Drugs and Nonprescription Drugs Advisory Committees concluded at it Dec. 16 meeting.

The committee voted 22 to five with one abstention that the Convenient Access, Responsible Education program proposed by Barr is adequate with respect to consumer access and safe use of Plan B (two levonorgestrel .75 mg tablets taken 12 hours apart within three days of intercourse) in a non-prescription setting.

Under the proposed CARE program, distribution of Plan B would be limited to retail operations with pharmacy services and clinics and the product be placed within sight of the pharmacist or behind the counter, product packaging would include a 24-hour toll-free number and a supplementary patient leaflet, health care providers and consumers would receive educational materials, and monitoring of Plan B use would occur through health professional surveys and collaboration with professional groups.

Most committee members urged FDA and Barr not to restrict Plan B use to behind the counter where a woman must ask a pharmacist for the product, and many members said the product should not even be in the line of sight of a pharmacist to protect the privacy of the consumer.

Age restrictions were also deemed unnecessary by most committee members, although some committee members felt that not enough data had been collected on Plan B use in early adolescents.

The committee voted 24 to four in favor of recommending that Plan B be switched from prescription to non-prescription status.

Barr has signed a letter of intent to market Plan B following approval of the Rx-to-OTC switch application submitted by the Women?s Capital Corporation in April. The user fee date for the application is in February.

The product, marketed by prescription in the U.S. since July 1999, could cost between $30-$40 per two dose packet once the product goes over-the-counter. Barr said that the cost would discourage women from using the emergency contraception for regular contraceptive use.

someone earlier mentioned age restrictions. it looks like it was at least considered, but ultimately they decided against it.