FDA approves Plan B One-Step, single-pill over-the-counter emergency contraceptive

July 13, 2:23 PMSex & Relationships ExaminerSarah Estrella

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FDA approves Plan B® One-Step emergency contraceptive as over-the-counter drug

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.