The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Perrigo’s contraceptive drug PRGO.N for over-the-counter use on Thursday, paving the way for millions of women to buy birth control pills without a prescription for the first time in the world. country.
The daily contraceptive, Opill, was first approved for prescription use in 1973, and the over-the-counter approval paves the way for people to get it without first seeing a health care provider
The approval was expected to lower barriers for women to obtain contraceptives, at a time of heightened focus on birth control since the US Supreme Court last year struck down the constitutional right to terminate pregnancies by throwing out a landmark ruling in Roe v. Wade from 1973.
The pill will be available in stores and online in the first quarter of next year, Perrigo said. The company will share information on pricing and distribution plans in advance, he said.
Studies have shown that a high proportion of consumers understood the label directions for using the drug, supporting their ability to use it correctly when available as an over-the-counter product, the FDA said.
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