Current:Home > FinanceFirst over-the-counter birth control pill heads to stores-LoTradeCoin
First over-the-counter birth control pill heads to stores
View Date:2024-12-23 19:53:08
Opill, the first oral contraceptive pill to be available without a prescription in the U.S., has shipped to retailers nationwide. It will be sold online and in the family planning aisle of drugstores, convenience stores and supermarkets later this month, the manufacturer announced Monday.
The drug itself has been around for decades, but manufacturers have been working nine years toward making it available over the counter. Here's what else to know about Opill.
What's in it?
Opill is a daily progestin-only pill, meaning there's no estrogen in it. That's why this kind of pill is sometimes called a mini-pill.
This isn't a new kind of birth control pill. The drug substance was originally approved for prescription use in 1973, according to the Food and Drug Administration. But this is the first birth control pill that has been approved for use without a prescription from a health care provider.
"We have been working on it for nine years and got approval in July 2023 from the FDA to move forward. And it's been kind of full-steam ahead since that day," says Triona Schmelter, an executive at Perrigo, which manufactures Opill.
Is it safe? And does it work?
Yes. Like many other oral contraceptives, it's 98% effective at preventing pregnancy if taken correctly. It should start to work 48 hours after taking the first dose. Potential side effects include headaches, bloating and cramping.
The FDA convened its panel of outside experts to advise it on this approval back in May, and the panel voted unanimously in favor of approval.
They said that the labeling alone was enough for people to be able to use Opill correctly without a doctor's help.
"The progestin-only pill has an extremely high safety profile, and virtually no one can have a health concern using a progestin-only pill," Dr. Sarah Prager, a professor of obstetrics and gynecology at the University of Washington School of Medicine, told NPR in July when Opill was first approved by the FDA.
Where will it be sold?
Major retailers will sell Opill where you'd typically find condoms and pregnancy tests.
"Today we start shipping Opill to our retailers for their brick-and-mortar stores," says Schmelter. It will be available in the coming weeks in-store in the family planning aisle, she says, as well as on online marketplaces and Opill.com.
How much will it cost?
A month's supply of Opill has a recommended retail price of $19.99. It will be a little cheaper to buy in bulk, however, with a three-month supply costing $49.99. Opill.com will also sell a six-month supply for $89.99.
Although birth control pills are available to people with insurance without a copay due to the Affordable Care Act, not everyone wants their birth control pill to show up on their insurance, so they may choose to pay out of pocket.
Schmelter says Perrigo has also set up a patient assistance program for people who don't have insurance and can't afford Opill.
Who is this for?
This is for people who want to prevent pregnancy but perhaps aren't able to visit their health care provider to get a prescription. They may be in between medical appointments, or they may be teens who otherwise aren't able to access reproductive health care.
"It doesn't require a doctor's visit, which means it doesn't require time off work or potentially a babysitter or finding a doctor," Schmelter says. "You can walk into any local retailer and, in the family planning section, pick it up at your convenience."
"When it comes from Opill.com, the packaging will be discreet," Schmelter says. "It's nobody's business but your own."
veryGood! (933)
Related
- Charles Hanover: A Summary of the UK Stock Market in 2023
- ¿Por qué permiten que las compañías petroleras de California, asolada por la sequía, usen agua dulce?
- Scientists Say Pakistan’s Extreme Rains Were Intensified by Global Warming
- America is going through an oil boom — and this time it's different
- Seattle man faces 5 assault charges in random sidewalk stabbings
- Supreme Court sides with Jack Daniel's in trademark dispute with dog toy maker
- Why Danielle Jonas Sometimes Feels Less Than Around Sisters-in-Law Priyanka Chopra and Sophie Turner
- Facing water shortages, Arizona will curtail some new development around Phoenix
- Amazon Black Friday 2024 sales event will start Nov. 21: See some of the deals
- Sony and Marvel and the Amazing Spider-Man Films Rights Saga
Ranking
- Kraft Heinz stops serving school-designed Lunchables because of low demand
- Receding rivers, party poopers, and debt ceiling watchers
- A landmark appeals court ruling clears way for Purdue Pharma-Sackler bankruptcy deal
- Thousands of Reddit communities 'go dark' in protest of new developer fees
- Mariah Carey's Amazon Holiday Merch Is All I Want for Christmas—and It's Selling Out Fast!
- Calculating Your Vacation’s Carbon Footprint, One Travel Mode at a Time
- Chernobyl Is Not the Only Nuclear Threat Russia’s Invasion Has Sparked in Ukraine
- Jessica Simpson Seemingly Shades Ex Nick Lachey While Weighing in On Newlyweds' TikTok Resurgence
Recommendation
-
LSU student arrested over threats to governor who wanted a tiger at college football games
-
Receding rivers, party poopers, and debt ceiling watchers
-
Cuando tu vecino es un pozo de petróleo
-
Victor Wembanyama's Security Guard Will Not Face Charges After Britney Spears Incident
-
Black women notch historic Senate wins in an election year defined by potential firsts
-
‘Timber Cities’ Might Help Decarbonize the World
-
Inside Clean Energy: Here’s a Cool New EV, but You Can’t Have It
-
Texas Is Now the Nation’s Biggest Emitter of Toxic Substances Into Streams, Rivers and Lakes