On Friday, Teva Pharmaceuticals announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved its New Drug Application for Plan B® One-Step emergency contraception, a single-pill version of the Plan B® levonorgestrel drug first approved ten years ago.
The product will be available to consumers later this month as an over-the-counter drug, and is being marketed under the tagline "Because the unexpected happens."
The FDA is also expanding over-the-counter access to Plan B® One-Step for consumers age 17 or older. Women under 17 will need a prescription for the product in all but nine states: Pharmacy-access laws in Alaska, California, Hawaii, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Mexico, and Vermont allow women of any age to purchase the drug without a prescription.
The drug, not to be confused with the RU-486 mifepristone pill, is effective as an emergency contraceptive if taken within 72 hours of unprotected sex or contraceptive failure, and is not intended – or effective – as an abortion pill.
Check out Sarah Estrella's previous Contraception and Sexy Science reporting and follow @Sexaminer on Twitter for the latest Sex & Relationships news
Comments
Good for you for getting this out so quickly, Sarah/ R
It's great that this contraceptive is available to more women and girls. I really hope people use this should an accident happen.
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