FDA panel supports over-the-counter birth control pill, paving way for final, US approval

An advisory panel at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Wednesday said that a decades-old birth control pill should be sold without a prescription, paving the way for the first over-the-counter contraceptive pill to be approved nationally. 

In a unanimous vote, the FDA advisers supported pharmaceutical manufacturer Perrigo’s request to sell its daily birth control pill, Opill, over the counter. 

The recommendation is non-binding, but if the FDA follows it, then Opill would become the first contraceptive medication to be moved from a prescription-only basis to the store shelves.

Madeleine Hubbard is an international correspondent for Just the News. Follow her on Twitter or Instagram.