FDA approves Plan B over-the-counter
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 24, 2006
Food and Drug Administration Ends Political Posturing,
Allows Over-the-Counter Access to "Morning-After" Pill
Pro-choice group praises Senator Murray for leading the fight against political interference at the FDA
SEATTLE - Karen Cooper, Executive Director of NARAL Pro-Choice Washington, applauded the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) long overdue decision to grant over-the-counter status to the emergency contraceptive Plan B®, also known as the "morning-after" pill.
"Finally, the FDA put sound science before politics and made this safe, effective birth-control option more accessible to women," said Cooper. "The American public overwhelmingly supports increased access to the ‘morning-after’ pill as a way to prevent unintended pregnancy."
NARAL Pro-Choice Washington has been part of a national effort to demand the FDA end its delay on approving over-the-counter access to Plan B® over the past three years. Washington state has been a leader on the issue of access to emergency contraception. Thanks to the leadership of pharmacists in our state, women have been able to access the ‘morning-after’ pill directly from their pharmacists since 1998.
Cooper said the Bush White House and its anti-choice allies’ interference in the FDA’s process undermined the public’s confidence in the agency’s objectivity. She said the FDA’s decision today could help restore that trust.
"Americans are tired of the divisive attacks on women’s reproductive-health care," Cooper continued. "Finally, the FDA stood up to the Bush administration and its far-right base to help women prevent unintended pregnancy by guaranteeing greater access to the ‘morning-after’ pill. I would like to thank Washington’s own Senator Patty Murray (D-WA) for her stalwart leadership throughout this fight. She and Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-NY) refused to allow politics to interfere in an agency’s ability to do what’s right."
NARAL Pro-Choice Washington expressed concern about the age restriction, which means the medication won't reach everyone who needs it. The evidence on this drug’s safety is overwhelming. Experts, like the American Academy of Pediatrics, recommend the medication be available for women of all ages.
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