For the first time ever, the FDA permits the sale of birth control over-the-counter

Little Rock, Arkansas – Women will soon have nationwide access to over-the-counter birth control tablets for the first time ever.

This comes after the Food and Drug Administration on Thursday approved the availability of the medication Opill without a prescription.

“For easily accessible birth control to be available is a huge deal for women,” Arkansas woman Xandra Sharpe said.

For the first time ever, women visiting the pharmacy to pick up their prescriptions will be allowed to buy the contraceptive medicine Opill without a prescription.

“I think it is a wonderful step forward after we have taken so many steps back in reproductive freedom,” Sharpe said.

The Food and Drug Administration granted this medication over-the-counter status on Thursday, opening up access to millions of people across the country without regard to age.

According to Anne Pace, owner, and chief pharmacist of Kavanaugh Pharmacy, these medications should be safe for usage by all women.

“This is not a new medication, this is not a new drug, it is a norethindrone-progesterone pill and so it does not have estrogen as part of it which a lot of our risks and most of our risks with birth control are because of that estrogen component,” Pace said.

It won’t be until the beginning of next year that the maker, Perrigo, will make the pill available in the United States.

The lack of access to contraception is a major factor in Arkansas’ ranking as one of the top states for unwanted pregnancies, according to the Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families.

“I think for us particularly, especially having a lot of areas that have limited access to health care providers, this is a really big step,” Pace stated.

“It should not be guarded, it shouldn’t be a privilege to be able to have access to birth control,” Sharpe said.

The manufacturer is still debating the price, but their objective is to guarantee that millions of people can access it.

Before making the purchase, it is nevertheless crucial, according to Anne Pace, to consult a healthcare expert.