FDA weighing 1st over-the-counter birth control pill

, which is not a contraceptive. Research for over-the-counter use began nearly a decade ago.

FDA's decision won't apply to other birth control pills, only Opill, although advocates hope that an approval decision might push other pill makers to seek over-the-counter sales. Birth control pills are available without a prescription across much of South America, Asia and Africa. Women were paid to track and record their use of the pill, including whether they followed instructions to take it during the same 3-hour window each day. That consistency is key to the drug’s ability to block pregnancy.

The most popular birth control pills today contain the synthetic hormone progestin, which helps block pregnancy, plus estrogen. The addition of estrogen can help make periods lighter and more regular but it also carries the risk of rare blood clots.

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FDA considers whether a birth control pill could be sold over the counterThe FDA is on the cusp of deciding whether at least one type of hormonal birth control — a progestin-only drug called Opill by French drugmaker HRA Pharma — is safe enough to be sold over the counter without a prescription and without age restrictions.
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