The moment is particularly well chosen. A few weeks after the Supreme Court’s decision to revoke the right to abortion in the country, the Perrigo laboratory asked the American authorities to market its contraceptive pill over the counter. If the green light is given, it would be a first in the United States.
It is a French subsidiary of the pharmaceutical group, HRA Pharma, which has filed a dossier with the American Medicines Agency (FDA) for Opill, a pill to be taken every day based on a synthetic progestogen, without estrogen, available on prescription since 1973, details a press release.
” A coincidence “
The launch of the regulatory process, shortly after the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn, on June 24, the right to abortion in force throughout the United States, is “a coincidence”, swears the company, which emphasizes that HRA had been working on the case for seven years.
“This historic procedure marks a turning point in access to contraceptives and for reproductive equity in the United States,” commented Frédérique Welgryn, director of strategic operations and innovation at HRA Pharma, in the press release. If the laboratory obtains the authorization, it will “help even more women and people to access contraception without facing unnecessary obstacles”.
Already available over-the-counter in Portugal, Turkey, Brazil and Mexico
Birth control pills are already available over the counter in many countries, including Brazil, Mexico, Portugal or Turkey. Other countries prefer to require a visit to a health professional, in particular to avoid possible contraindications and to discuss the risks for blood pressure.
Several major US medical organizations, including the Council of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), have, however, already expressed support for over-the-counter pills. “The data confirms that progestin-only hormonal methods are generally safe and pose no or minimal risk of venous thromboembolism,” also known as blood clots, ACOG said in a post on its site.
“Several studies have demonstrated that women are able to use self-screening tools to determine their eligibility for hormonal contraceptive use,” the organization adds.