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MyHealthNewsDaily
Women should be able to buy birth control pills over-the-counter at pharmacies without a prescription, a group of doctors says.
The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) said today that increasing women's access to birth control in this way could reduce the rate of unplanned pregnancies in the United States, which has not changed in the last 20 years. About half of U.S. pregnancies are unintended.
Although selling birth control pills over-the-counter (OTC) comes with risks — like any drug, the pill has potential side effects, and there are concerns it would be used by women who should not take the drug — these are outweighed by the benefits, the ACOG says.
The pill's availability would not change overnight. First, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) would require drug companies to conduct studies proving the pill is safe for OTC use, said Claire Brindis, a reproductive health researcher at the University of California, San Francisco. For instance, the companies would need to prove that women who hadn't consulted with a doctor do indeed understand the medication's side effects and the circumstances under which they should not take it, Brindis said.
Emergency contraception (also known as the morning-after pill ), which is taken to prevent pregnancy after unprotected sex, is already available over-the-counter without a prescription for women over 18.
Risks and benefits
Birth control pills can increase the risk of blood clots in some women. But this side effect is rare, and pregnancy also comes with an increased risk of blood clots, ACOG says.
"If you look at the degree to which unintended pregnancy affects women, and the risks that those unintended pregnancies carry … those risk outweigh the other risks of the medication," said Dr. Jill Rabin, an obstetrician and gynecologist at the North Shore Long Island Jewish Medical Center in New Hyde Park, N.Y.
Studies also suggest women do not need a doctor's help in determining whether they should not use the pill. (Women should not take the pill if they are pregnant or have certain conditions such as breast cancer or high blood pressure.)
"There are many medications over the counter with side effects," Rabin said. "People have to really read [the label] to see whether or not this medication that is appropriate for them."
Rabin said she agrees with the ACOG statement and hopes that should the drugs become available OTC, women would still have conversations with their doctor about which birth control pills are right for them.
Research from Mexico, where women can obtain birth control pills over-the-counter, suggests that this availability does not stop women from visiting their doctors for screening tests such as Pap smears and breast exams, ACOG says.
Cost concerns
There are concerns that women who buy birth control pills over-the-counter would not be reimbursed by their health insurance. Efforts to improve access to birth control pills "should try to ensure that they won't increase out-of-pocket costs for women," said Dr. Kavita Nanda, who was involved writing the ACOG statement and is a scientist at the family planning nonprofit organization FHI 360.
Birth control pills range in price from $15 to $80 per month, or $180 to $960 per year.
In general, health insurance companies do not cover the cost of over-the-counter medications, said Janet Coffman, a professor at the University of California, San Francisco, who researches health policy.
Under provisions of the Affordable Care Act that take effect in 2014, insurance companies will cover prescription contraception that is FDA approved, Coffman said. But it's not clear if that coverage would apply to over-the-counter medications, she said.
It's also unclear what the price of birth control would be if it became available over-the-counter, Coffman said. There are a number of generic oral birth control pills, and with competition, prices could come down, Coffman said.
Brindis said that she hopes "health plans recognize that it's far cheaper for them to cover the cost of birth control than it is to pay for the cost of pregnancy."
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I think that since we will have universal health care and entitlement programs that cover everything from clothing,food to loaning toys to little illegal rugrats,we should start giving birth control out to children 12 years and older.Further,their rights should be codified so the parents cannot do a damn thing when they find out.The code should require the grandparents to be responsible for the incidentals that are not covered by any of the 2736 federal entitlement programs that currently exist.I believe sex ed should start at 5 with live demonstrations or movies begining at 8.Incest laws should be repealed.NAMBLA should be allowed to go back into the cover of GLBT unbrella,as it was until 15 years ago.We should have "mother of the year" awards for each age group.Give it to them free with no doctors approval but forbide the booldsucking lawyers from sueing.That will cull the herd well enough for now.
I agree with those of you who think a prescription is necessary. I've had problems with low dose birth control used to regulate my menstrual cycles -- If I hadn't been under the care of a doctor, I shudder to think how much worse things could have gotten. In addition, despite not having taken them in quite a while, I discovered that I have a chronic toe fungal infection that could be related to the pill, which can cause candida in many forms. Now I have to be on a special diet and cleansing to try and detoxify my body.
Making birth control pills available without a prescription would be a HUGE mistake. As a nurse, I feel the female population child bearing age would be at a BIG risk. Birth control pills are combinations of hormones that are taken to prevent ovulation and "mimic pregnancy" so to speak. They have very dangerous side effects such as blood clots, elevation of blood pressure especially if the woman is a smoker or over 35. They can cause nausea, weight gain, breast tenderness, changes in veins such as varicose veins. Post menopausal women that take hormones need a prescription and to be monitored for potential cancer. I believe these young women need to be monitored as well and have an exam before renewing the pills. This is why we have an FDA. The solution would be make well woman exams in order to get the prescriptions for the birth control pills very affordable. Something like a 25 dollar visit would be acceptable.
I think this is a stupid idea! My wife and I have birth control covered under my health insurance at work. If it were to be offered over the counter, it wouldn't be covered and I wouldn't even be able to use my health savings account to pay the price for it (Since over the counter medications are no longer an allowable expense as of 2009 i think). Were we to have to pay full price, it would be approximately 900 dollars a year for the same thing we currently get for free. In order to have an over the counter medication covered under health care law, a number of recent reforms would have to be overturned. I think it definitely needs to be kept as a prescription. That being said, I think a prescription should last for more than 3 months, like it does now. I think that a woman should consult with her physician to determine the best brand for her, at the right hormone levels and such. After they have dialed in what works, a prescription should be made for 6 months or even a year, just to eliminate the constant doctor's visits, but still keep it somewhat monitored. Perhaps a prescription can be renewed at an annual physical, I don't know. Just a thought.
I prescription for birth control is good from 1 year when doctor writes it. Most insurances will only pay for an individual to have a 3 month supply on hand (you can choose to pay cash for more if you would like) but the person can go to their pharmacy and receive more at a later date. The only way this would not be occurring is if the doctor needed to monitor someone (for whatever reason) more closely and then that is the doctor's choice but from every prescription I see, doctors are making those prescriptions good for one year.
It should be available over the counter without gauging by Pharmacy or pharmaceutical companies.
This may avoid unwanted pregnancies and its disastrous effects on person and society.
Birth Control pills has its side effects and must be clearly stated in bold types-fonts.
no. 1 solution: abstain
really, if it's that dangerous physicians are being stupid
Why can't these girls just use a condom if they don't want pregnant? or better yet, ABSTAIN
Brilliant. Cause we should only have sex to procreate. And married couples always want children every time they have sex.
I have a better solution: you should try understanding how the real world operates.
absolutely not! any kind of birthcontrol method ( the pills, the injectable, the nuva ring ) need to be prescribed by a doctor to make sure the right one is given to the patient. as many have pointed out, these do come with side effects and may cause blood clots, and even cervical cancer. a responsible physician will not prescribe birthcontrol with out a negative pap smear. also, birth control can be used to induce a miscarriage as a "morning after pill" when you take it a balloon amount of medication ( all at once- varies depending on the strength of the bcp) , and you may actually bleed out and end up in the er with death being a possible outcome. a woman can get a check up at your local county clinic if you are of low income and receive your contraceptive pills. also, you can now get some of the bcp with an rx for a low copay of $10. as a medical professional i believe it would be irresponsible to allow women to just buy otc birth control with out consulting a physician and even more important you must have your pap smears yearly to check for any abnormalities.
Birth control does not cause cervical cancer. Cervical cancer is monitored because an increased risk of sexual partners increases the risk for cervical cancer. A large amount of birth control does not cause an individual to bleed out - it would actually cause someone to clot more easily because estrogen increases the risk for clotting. I don't know where you are getting this information.
Getting an STD for the most part only affects you and the unprotected you are with! Having an unwanted pregnancy effects that child for the rest of his, hers or the mom for the rest of their lives
Depending on the type of STD you contract while having sex, that can also affect your ability to have children in the future and may increase the risk for your child to have that same disease when they are born.
Thank you for thinking. If a person has sex while not thinking of these outcomes then please give them BCP's. The child will always suffer the most!
I just wish all these people would truly give women a choice...life. All of this is just a way to let young girls get birth control without the parents knowing about it...come on people, think. This is not about helping women, this is about lining someones pockets. Really care for women? If they really cared for women these people would talk about the scares that come with recreational none committed married sex. Yes, I said it. If people would see marriage how it is suppose to be we would not even be having this conversation. If you want to be free to have recreational sex then pay the price...don't ask me to pay it for you. Sex is for marriage period. It does not matter to me if you agree or not...it is the truth and it is the way it was and is designed.
I hope those who do not like this will get the revelation.
Some how Americans need to mature to a point that allows people, FEMALE PEOPLE, to be able to decide and know what side effects are acceptable for them. What is wrong with people that think taking a birth control pill needs a doctor involved. OH, OK, money is involved. If a female is not smart enough to take a pill at different times in her cycle, she needs to stop screwing around and rethink who and where she is. Most all female people know what cause reproduction. We don't need some doctor collecting money to tell a lady what she needs to do. Besides, if a girl decides to take the pill, she also wants them to work, so she will take them correctly.
Many people do not take medications correctly. Hence the reason why individuals overuse Tylenol or ibuprofen and land in the hospital because they did not read the directions. Or another example is that individuals do not take all of their antibiotics and now have helped create a drug resistant bacteria, which is harder to treat. I don't know how many times I have counseled a women about what to do if they miss doses of their birth control. You cannot trust that a woman who is on birth control is taking it correctly.
I see many posts that state that a prescription should still be required for reasons of safety and regulations due to the fact that complications could arrise and it is still a better idea to keep a doctor involved for now so as to ensure the proper care being given to the choosing of the right prescription to the right woman. I agree with that. What they SHOULD do at this stage until an over the counter ,99% safe for most woman version of BC can be found, is make it FREE birth control. F R E E. That should keep most ppl happy for now and maintain a level of security in the meantime.
As to the real question of "Should birth control by more readily available?"
Answer: Detroit
Free? Really? The manufacturing of ANY and EVERY product costs something. Who do you propose should pay for this? Who pays the pharm company to produce the drug? Who pays the chemists and pharmacists to develop and research these drugs?
How about personal responsibility? That actually IS free!!
Does this mean that they think other steroidal compounds should be over the counter drugs as well?
If you take full responsibility
As long as,once the LAWSUITS start,and you know they will,each of these Doctors are included in the blame.
Personalized? Are you kidding. You get a script and the tech pulls them off the shelve. There is no great mystery about dispensing the pill.
They should be available OTC.
There are a lot of drugs that are, like a child's cough syrup. You look at the label, it says, "if the child weights this or that and is this or that height" then give them X amount.
Same labeling for birth control and the kids cough syrup is probably more dangerous than the birth control pill.
It should always be a prescription...#1 every woman's body is different...#2 the dangers of taking it are not the best and should be thoroughly discussed with the patient. #3 if a "Dr" says it doesn't need a prescription I would question their degree! #4 the thing that angers me most is that insurance doesn't pay for the "pill" even if it is medically necessary. I had to put my daughter on the pill when she was in H.S. because her period would not stop and it was the only solution...cost me a small fortune until it was resolved.
no, i think you obama girls should be able to use a voucher and get them out of vending machines for free along with tampons. its just that he connects with you, you know. i mean its like peanut butter and jelly.
This whole country need to take responsiblity for what they put into their bodies
People need to stop living in fantasy land.There are WAY to many people on this planet and the U.S. and the united nations need to get together and put a 2 child limit on woman period.Kind of like what China is doing.They should put a probition on limit of kids for at least 50 years.And violators will be fixed like cats.The people who are popping kids out like rabbits are the one's mainly on welfare and people who somehow benefits financially.
Very few is out of love of childen.In the mean time they should drop those pills out of planes like confetti,and put all the side effects and cautions on the back, like asprin.If you have to go see your doctor for it,lots of woman wont tell the doctors what there taking anyway,because of it being maybe illegal or just forwhatever reason.And doctors wont take any tests until they see what kind of insurance they can milk them for.If woman are sceptical about taking it then go see the doctor,dont make it manditory.
Hmm for some reason i see no zealots on here arguing that this would somehow kill babies that dont yet exist.
They should NOT be an OTC !!! There are to many risks and side effects. Each woman is different and needs to be regulated as to which birth control pill is best for their particular body. Birth control pills are not a 100% effective, especially if you are not receiving the right dose or it can be fatal.
As a medical professional I say no to OTC. Not because of side effects, etc., but because dosage is not a "one size fits all" in the medication. If a woman takes too much of a dose she develops potential life threatening side effects. If the dose she chooses is too little for her body then lo and behold she is pregnant while taking them and thinking she was "safe".
Our first son was conceived while on the pill. Never missed one, but what they determined was that the estrogen dosage was not strong enough for my metabolism, medical conditions, etc. They got it right after he was born and I went back on - - then our second son was when we planned. OTC is not the be all end all. I see too many patients who have overmedicated or undermedicated themselves with OTC meds - making conditions worse and increasing their health care costs instead.
Face it folks - 75% of the people who buy OTC meds NEVER read the instructions, proper dosing, maxiumum dosing, timing, and so on. I have always read them and you would be amazed at the number of inocuous things that interact with certain medications. Hell, certain foods will interact. Women of all ages (and men too) should see their doctor once a year, have a physicial and get checked out.
I go to my primary care and she writes my prescriptions for 1 year of refills. I have to come and have bloodwork six months later, and then voila, it's physicial time again. For years our insurance didn't cover BCP, we simply paid the $20 a month to have them until they weren't needed any longer. Since everyone should see a doctor annually, the complaints about "having to" see a doctor are BS. Young and healthy in their minds can still not really be such.
most people are lucky if they have a doctor to see once a year
or can afford to see one
amen
Since the hormones in BC are used to treat so many female issues... since there are so many different kinds of BC... a prescription and a physician who knows your history is a good idea.
I do however, find it fascinating that insurance companies balk at paying for oral contraceptives, but do not bat an eye about paying for erectile meds... quite stupid in fact!
Keep it the way it is...Prescription only.
Question:
Is Viagra prescription only? It should be as well.
Yes
Just another gimmick article to push the creepy eugenic movement and sell more pills to the human cows the pharmaceutical freaks want to sell. Stupid people running to the cow trough for more pills. As if they aren't killing enough of you fast enough. I want breast cancer no I want high blood pressure no I want blood clots me first me first me first. Moooo!
WOW... keep hiding in those dark corners... rammy... geez you are positive hack... not everyone experiences the things you are talking about... that is why seeing a physician is a good idea. I got your moooo...
Just shake the pill sack the cows will come running and you can kill them off more quickly no need to herd them into the slaughter pins at planned parenthood. They are just human beings right, all just here for your profit.
I did not know that let pin heads at the asylum have computer access... you are special.
Hell yes a prescription should be required to get them,to do otherwise would be totaly irrespncible to say the least.ON another note I disagree that employers should be made to provide free birth control meds to their employee's as well.The poorest of the poor can get them so every body else can get them too on their own.It is in no way an emplyers responcibility to provide free birth control meds to their emplyee's,thats just plain out ignorant to even think otherwise
I believe it is all employers who provide insurance... if the insurance covers prescription, it is suppose to cover ALL prescriptions... I don't get it... paying for the birth of a child and all the following expenses is far more expensive than covering contraceptives!
.... leftward bound is preaching the old twisted meme
"Lebensunwertes Leben" "the life unworthy of life" introduced in the 1920's in literature. The expense of life is too high argument. Blood thirsty tonight aren't you.
You are probably the most ignorant person I have run across in quite some time, donnie... need to get your self a life... and back on those meds! Now try to stay on point, scumbag.
Preach to us about the need for more pills PLEASE, and tell us how the death panel Dr's need to control so you can mandate that doctrine of death through governmental control. More pills more pills more pills berate us all into submission resistance is futile... eugenic master