The first over-the-counter (OTC) birth control pill in the U.S. will hit the market soon, and the Biden administration is facing pressure from Democrats and reproductive health groups to make sure it is affordable.
The manufacturer of Opill says it’s on track to make the drug available sometime during the first quarter of this year, meaning it could be on shelves by March.
Reproductive health experts say making birth control pills available without a prescription has the potential to be a game changer, especially for younger women and those in rural and underserved communities.
It is more than 90 percent effective at preventing pregnancies, making it more effective than other OTC contraceptives such as condoms or spermicides.
The push to make birth control available OTC has been happening for years, but after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade and ended the constitutional right to an abortion in 2022, the movement took on more urgency.
The White House last week unveiled new efforts to expand access to contraception, including requiring insurers to cover a broader range of products for free under the Affordable Care Act — but only if they are prescribed. Insurers typically don’t cover OTC products.
A few states require state-regulated private health insurance plans to cover OTC contraception, but those rules don’t apply to most employer-sponsored plans.
Print Page
Email to a Friend