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Did the Bush White House pressure the Food and Drug Administration to block the "Morning After Pill," known as Plan B, from being sold over-the-counter at your local drug store? That question is the focus of a hearing in federal court on June 13, where birth control advocates have sued the FDA to make the drug available without a prescription.

After being introduced in 1999, the "morning after pill" has been the source of heated debates. Since the drug must be taken within 72 hours of sexual contact the manufacturer requested that the drug be offered over the counter.This request was met with hearty opposition. Some opponents of giving Plan B OTC status argue that making the drug more readily available may promote careless sexual activity among younger teens because unwanted pregnancy would no longer be a deterrent and could also lead to an increase in STDs. Currently, many pharmacies refuse to carry the drug and will not fill a legit prescription because they consider the drug to be an abortion pill; however the same pharmacies still stock standard birth control pills.So here's my question, do you think Plan B should be given OTC status? Should religion and personal views play a role in whether or not Plan B is prescribed or made available to women?

*There is quite a bit of information on this topic, much more than anyone would care for me to paraphrase, so if you're interested in more information I highly suggest visiting some of the following links:

http://www.fda.gov/cder/drug/infopage/planB/planBQandA.htm

http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2004-05-09-fda-morning-after_x.htm

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2005/11/22/60minutes/main1068924.shtml

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/20...AR2005101202607.html

http://www.usmedicine.com/article.cfm?articleID=1173&issueID=80

I think this society has come to an effing end. As a woman, I support the use of Plan B because when Plan A fails, there's gotta be a Plan B.

On a more serious note, the way that I've heard this drug to work sounds a whole lot like regular birth control expect you take it after you have sex instead of before like most traditional birth control products.

If that's the case, then what the hell is the matter with taking it. I mean, if the egg and sperm haven't come together in fertilization to create a fetus, no one has any basis for saying it's abortion. There for, pharmacies should give it OTC status.

Morning-after pill entangles Bush's FDA nominee

FDA Mulls Sale of "Morning After" Pill

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Originally posted by yogore:

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The state of Washington allows pharmacists to deny people the Plan B pill if the pharmacist finds the pill morally objectionable.

That'd be like a cashier refusing to sell you condoms because they believe in abstinence only.

I agree with Yogore. If a pharmacist can refuse to sell it to you because they do not agree with you, than why can't cashiers refuse to sell condoms if they believe in abstinence? Honestly, it is just the same either way. Who has the right to tell these women who want the 72 hour pill that they can't have it? There obivously is a reason to why they want it, so its not like they want it randomly. Like said earlier by Celtic, the birthcontrol pills have more side effects to them than this 72 hour pill has. And what right does someone have to refuse something to someone because of their personal beliefs? I work at a video store, and I rent out a lot of adult videos and games to men mainly. What would happen if I was to refuse to rent these objects to people because I found them digusting? (I don't really find them disgusting, I'm rather indifferent about them...but thats not the point) There would be a lot of protests because it isn't my right to refuse them what they want. You can't make a decision for someone else, and thats what happens when you allow people's personal believes to interfer with their jobs, such as the pharmacists refusing to sell the 72 hour pill.

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The state of Washington allows pharmacists to deny people the Plan B pill if the pharmacist finds the pill morally objectionable.

That'd be like a cashier refusing to sell you condoms because they believe in abstinence only.

The state of Washington allows pharmacists to deny people the Plan B pill if the pharmacist finds the pill morally objectionable.

I personally find nothing wrong with it at all. It makes sense for it to be OTC since there will always be...unintelligent people who won't take the necessary precautions to have sex.

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Has anyone considered the fact that maybe the pill isn't SAFE ENOUGH to be put over the counter? I know the FDA is more about the safety of products, not necessarily the moral or logistical aspects of them. It can take awhile for ANY drug to go from prescription to over the counter...what's making this one any different

Actually, there are no reported long-term effects for PLan B and the worst that usually happens is vomiting. And if you don't believe me, look it up. The birth control pill is riskier.

Codeine almost killed my brother, gave me hallucinations that told me to kill myself and how, and caused some serious aftereffects in the both of us. Yet it's still considered "safe". I have not heard one case of someone dying due to the 72hr pill.

And if it really isn't safe, what reason does the FDA have to not bar it?

Well nothing is without its risks...you can die from drinking a glass of water...

Some drugs are intrinsically (sp) MORE dangerous than others...

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Has anyone considered the fact that maybe the pill isn't SAFE ENOUGH to be put over the counter

No medication is actually safe.

My mother almost died from taking Aleve. I got poisoned on epsom salts. Penicillin (sp?) can be fatal to some.

Has anyone considered the fact that maybe the pill isn't SAFE ENOUGH to be put over the counter? I know the FDA is more about the safety of products, not necessarily the moral or logistical aspects of them. It can take awhile for ANY drug to go from prescription to over the counter...what's making this one any different?

First of all, most pharmacists/drug store clerks I see do tell me what the drug I'm taking is for, etcetera unless it's somthing simple like Tylenol or Maalox... And Celtic has a point - no physician is going to see you within 72 hours... unless you've attempted suicide, and even then it might be another day (I've been there). To go to the ER, it's going to be at least 3 or 4 hours too.

In case this is news to you, lots of people don't read the lables on drugs. If you sell it over the counter, people will missuse it, vurses going to a doctor where you sit and discuss the affects of it with a professional.

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they just need to talk to their friendly physician within 72 hours and get him/her to approve the need for the drug.

72 hours? That's the amount of time you need to get a doctor to see you in a public hospital here, unless you're actually dying or had a stroke.

I have an appointment with my gyno...and the earliest appointment I could use was in August.

Also, if we make doctors appoint it, we're screwed, because doctors tend to think they are demi-gods and act like they must impose their beliefs on us.

Should it be sold over the counter... Yes. We continue to talk about "girls" on this site having abortion, but girls are not the only people out there that do have unsafe sex and get pregnant. Rape victims (rape includes partners by the way ladies!), women who are too old or don't have the ability to have a professional abortion (because of the expense) would all want access to Plan B. This would reduce the risk of necessary prescriptions and more middlemen, while at the same time privately owned pharmacies and drug stores (that is most) can still refuse to sell it in their stores.

I think you're underestimating your fellow women Meagan. I believe very, very few would take a pill without doing some research beforehand.

As for Gesyka's comment about religion and personal choice, religion should not play any role in an argument about biology and drugs. There is not a single reason for it. And above all, individual rights should be considered with great magnitude. If something is available, whether or not a paternalistic government believes people have made an unwise decision (because it also is not always that person's choice), they should have a right to it.

We are not talking about whether or not Plan B is a good idea...we are talking about whether or not it should be sold over the counter. Right now, you would have to go to a doctor to have a prescription for the drug written up. If Plan B becomes an "over the counter" drug, it will be sold just like tylenol, anyone is able to pick it up off of the shelf, purchase it and use it. That is the argument at hand...

If teen girls want it for use in emergencies (such as rape and failed primary and secondary birth control) they are more than welcome to it...they just need to talk to their friendly physician within 72 hours and get him/her to approve the need for the drug. By keeping that doctor visit required, the liablility of the drug company decreases significantly-it makes it less likely that the girls will develop health conditions, have drug interactions, and it shows that they have talked to someone about the drug and its effects before actualluy using it.

If it prevents unwanted pregnancies, and hence abortions, its a good thing.

It has been proven time and time again that abstinence-only education DOES NOT WORK. It is MUCH more effective to teach teens safe sex. The same theory applies here. As Celtic said, teens are going to have sex. The more important issue is making sure that that sex does not affect the teens lives permanently and negatively.

There are too many situations in which this could be helpful. What happens in the case of rape? What happens when the condom breaks?

I don't think too many teens are stupid enough to believe that the morning after pill prevents STDs.

I say it's a good idea to put it over the counter. I prefer that to seeing pregnant fifteen year olds abandoned by their boyfriends and more babies put up for adoption or aborted or with mothers who weren't ready to have them.

I don't think it's right, but it's more practical.

Teens are going to have sex. We can't stop that. Ever.

Thats a horrible idea. Teenageers will now start thinking that it is fine to have unprotected sex, then go back and "fix it" later. THAT'S NOT HOW IT WORKS! You can still get STDs. Its not like people will use that with birth controll, they will use it instead!

Not to mention that it hasn't even been proven that its safe for teenagers to use!