Pharmacy Access Partnership | Behind the Counter: A Review of Plan B OTC

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August 2006–August 2007
A Year in Review: Looking Backward, Moving Forward on Plan B OTC

In August 2006, the FDA approved Plan B for OTC sale for individuals 18 and older. To commemorate the 1-year anniversary, Pharmacy Access Partnership takes a look back at the last year.

Consumers (men and women) 18+ don’t need prescription
Women under 18 still need prescription — either from a doctor, clinic or specially trained pharmacist
Pharmacy Access remains important health option for all women

Pharmacy Access Partnership statement on 1st Anniversary of Plan B OTC.

2006
	August 24, 2006: Food and Drug Administration approves Plan B for non-prescription sale for women 18 and older. Good news for consumers 18+; problematic for women ≤ 17 and those w/o proof of age, who still need prescription to get EC.
	October 2006: JAMA article reports more research needed to fully understand Plan B’s mechanisms of action.
	October 2006: California EC Network implores statewide commitment to ensuring EC access for young women, low-income women and women of color.
	November 2006: Pharmacies nationwide begin carrying Plan B packaged for OTC sale; women 17 and younger can still get Plan B via pharmacy access model.
	December 2006: Planned Parenthood affiliates nationwide offer free EC.
2007
	January 2007: Select provisions of 2005 Deficit Reduction Act become effective; low-income women and college students forced to pay more for birth control.
	March 2007: Center for Reproductive Rights files for summary judgment in case against FDA over the agency's handling of Plan B.
	March 2007: WalMart ensures Plan B will be stocked at pharmacies nationwide
	April 2007: Family Research Council and other groups sue FDA over Plan B OTC decision
	April 2007: Kroger pharmacies affirms availability of Plan B in all stores
	April 2007: Research reveals advance provision of EC doesn’t lower pregnancy rates, but does increase likelihood of EC use and use sooner after sex.
	June 2007: Access to Birth Control Act introduced in Congress to require all pharmacies to provide birth control, including EC.
	June 2007: Eight states (HI, IL, MA, NJ, NY, OK, OR, WA) confirm Medicaid coverage for Plan B OTC. Medicaid will continue to cover Plan B obtained via prescription — including for women 17 and younger.
	July 2007: Former Attorney General Richard Carmona tells Congressional panel that Bush Administration silenced him on EC and other important public health issues.
	July 2007: Barr Laboratories announces annual Plan B sales are projected to double to $80 million in 2007.
Prepared by Pharmacy Access Partnership, August 2007.

Read Pharmacy Access Partnership’s Access to Plan B Emergency Contraception in an OTC Environment. (PDF-168K) Journal of Nursing Law, 2007; 11(2): 93-100.

Learn more about how to obtain or provide Plan B:

Visit our other sites: www.piwh.org | www.GO2EC.org | www.EC-Help.org | www.youthfriendlypharmacy.org