Manufacturer of Emergency Contraception Pill Seeks OTC Approval

New York Times author Kate Zernike reported that in May of this year, New Mexico became the 4th state to allow pharmacists to dispense a high dose regimen of birth control pills as emergency contraception (EC) directly to patients. New Mexico joins Washington, California and Alaska where distributing and monitoring of EC by pharmacists has been in place for several years. The pills are available OTC in more than a dozen countries and Women's Capital Corporation, a manufacturer, has applied to the FDA for OTC approval. Controversy exists surrounding this push to OTC due to confusion with RU-486 (mefepristone) known as the abortion pill. RU-486 can trigger an abortion up to 12 weeks after conception as opposed to EC, which avoids the need for abortion by preventing pregnancy in the first place. An example of this confusion was shown when the Maryland House of Delegates debated EC distribution by pharmacists. Teen-age promiscuity and abortion clouded the debate and a few chain pharmacies have refused to stock the drug. However, the National Right to Life Committee and The American Life League have both indicated that their organizations will not take any position on the FDA application. Many opponents to abortion support birth control pills as a way to prevent them. The exact mechanism of action remains unknown but researchers suspect that EC either delays ovulation or prevents implantation. Effectiveness ranges from 75-89% and some research indicates EC can prevent pregnancy even if taken 5 days after unprotected sex. More information can be found at: http://www.nytimes.com/2003/05/19/health/19PILL.html Return to Top