FDA approves Perrigo’s Oral contraceptive pills to be sold without prescription- Read

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the US on Thursday approved the selling of the first OTC contraceptive medicine without a prescription. This decision is a positive sign for women to buy birth control pills without the requirement of a medical certificate.

The daily contraceptive Opill by Perrigo was initially given the approval for selling with prescription in 1973. With the new amendment, consumers will be able to buy it without the need for medical protocol. The company will release the price of the medicines in the next week and it will be made available in the stores and online by the mid-term of the coming year.

The Opill sold by Perrigo contains a hormone known as progestin, unlike other contraceptive medicines that contain estrogen. The former hormone plays a key role during the menstrual cycle and pregnancy.

The FDA has advised the pill shouldn’t be taken by those women who suffered from breast cancer. The major reason for that is that the medicine has some side effects such as irregular bleeding, dizziness, and severe headache. The pill is also not recommended to consume along with other birth control medicine.

However, the National Catholic Bioethics Centre has objected to this decision due to the side effects that come with it. They have stated that the pill shouldn’t be made available over the counter due to major safety causes.

Though, a panel of representatives in May held a meeting for the respective decision and unanimously voted for Opill’s sale over the counter. The officials have even reasoned it by saying that most women suffer more through unplanned pregnancy than the medicine’s side effects being observed.