US: Morning-after pill okay for ages 15 and up
2 May 2013 12:49 AM GMT
The government on Tuesday lowered to 15 the age at which girls can buy the morning-after pill without a prescription and said the emergency contraception no longer has to be kept behind pharmacy counters. The decision by the Food and Drug Administration is an attempt to find middle ground just days before a court-imposed deadline to lift all age restrictions on the drug.
Today, Plan B One-Step is sold behind pharmacy counters, and buyers must prove they’re 17 or older to buy it without a prescription. Tuesday’s decision lowers the age limit to 15, and will allow the pill to sit on drugstore shelves next to condoms and spermicides or other women’s health products. But customers must prove their age at the cash register.
Teva Women’s Health, which makes Plan B, said it would begin over-the-counter sales in a few months. The question is whether Tuesday’s action settles a larger court fight. Earlier this month, US district judge Edward Korman blasted the Obama administration for imposing the age-17 limit which made it hard for women of any age to obtain the emergency contraception in time.
Today, Plan B One-Step is sold behind pharmacy counters, and buyers must prove they’re 17 or older to buy it without a prescription. Tuesday’s decision lowers the age limit to 15, and will allow the pill to sit on drugstore shelves next to condoms and spermicides or other women’s health products. But customers must prove their age at the cash register.
Teva Women’s Health, which makes Plan B, said it would begin over-the-counter sales in a few months. The question is whether Tuesday’s action settles a larger court fight. Earlier this month, US district judge Edward Korman blasted the Obama administration for imposing the age-17 limit which made it hard for women of any age to obtain the emergency contraception in time.
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