Opill, the first birth control pill approved for over-the-counter distribution, is now being shipped to retailers and pharmacies, the company behind the pill, Perrigo, announced on Monday. It will be available in stores and online later this month.
The Food and Drug Administration approved Opill last year, paving the way for the United States to join the dozens of countries that have already made over-the-counter birth control pills available. Opill, which works by using the hormone progestin to prevent pregnancy, is meant to be taken every day around the same time and, when used as directed, is 98% effective.
The pill’s arrival on shelves comes at a deeply fraught time for US reproductive rights: not only has the US supreme court demolished the national right to abortion, but the nation’s highest court is set to hear arguments over two abortion-related cases over the next few months.
“Week after week, we hear stories of people being denied the reproductive health care they so desperately need because of politicians and judges overstepping into the lives of patients and providers. Today, we get to celebrate different news,” Dr Tracey Wilkinson, a pediatrician in Indiana and a board member with Physicians for Reproductive Health, said in a statement.
“As Opill makes its way to pharmacies across the country, I am relieved to know that birth control access will become less challenging for so many people, but especially young people.”
Two in five women of reproductive age said in a 2022 KFF survey that, if approved by the FDA, they would be likely to use over-the-counter birth control pills.
However, as reproductive rights activists celebrated Perrigo’s Monday announcement, some also balked at the manufacturer’s suggested retail price of $19.99 for a one-month supply and $49.99 for a three-month supply. (It will also be available on Opill.com at a cost of $49.99 for a three-month supply and $89.99 for a six-month supply.)
“While today is a huge step forward, the price is still steep for many teenagers I know,” Maia Lopez said in a statement. Lopez, 17, is a part of a youth council that works with the Free the Pill coalition, which advocates for over-the-counter birth control pills.
“As a high school student in Texas who struggled to get on the pill under the current system, and faced social stigma while trying,” Lopez added, “I know firsthand how important it is to ensure young people can walk into a store and easily access the contraception they need.”
