For the first time in the United States, the Food and Drug Administration has approved a birth control pill to be sold without a prescription.
The medication is called Opill, and it is manufactured by the Perrigo Company, based in Dublin, Ireland. According to the company, the pill would become available from stores and online retailers in the United States beginning in early 2024.
The company did not say how much the medication would cost but Frédérique Welgryn, Perrigo’s global vice president for women’s health, said in a statement that the company was committed to making the pill “accessible and affordable to women and people of all ages.” Ms. Welgryn has also said the company would have a consumer assistance program to provide the pill at no cost to some women.
The panel who recommended the move cited the long history of safety and efficacy of Opill, which was approved for prescription use 50 years ago. The over-the-counter pill will be identical to the prescription version, which is 93 percent effective at preventing pregnancy with typical use.
The pill could be an extremely popular choice among consumers. According to a survey conducted by the healthcare research organization KFF, more than three-quarters of women of reproductive age said they favored an over-the-counter pill, primarily because of convenience.
Nearly 40% said they would be likely to use it. The survey reported those most likely to opt for the product included women already taking birth control pills, women without health insurance and Hispanic women.