Plan B, the emergency contraceptive pill, will now be available in its generic form to girls of all ages, thanks to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Previously, the generic version of Plan B was strictly allowed for women age 17 and older.
The drug prevents most pregnancies if taken within 72 hours of unprotected sex for women weighing less than 165 pounds.
The restrictions were in place due to an exclusivity agreement. Plan B's original manufacturer, Teva Pharmaceuticals, was the only drug producer allowed to sell the pill over the counter without age limits. Teva was given this right because they were the only company that had done research on the pill's effects on teenage girls compared to their generic-selling counterparts.
The debate over whether the emergency contraceptive Plan B should be so readily available to young girls has been debated for a decade, but reproductive health advocates applaud the move.
"This is a significant leap forward in obtaining full, over-the-counter status for emergency contraception, and we commend the FDA for this decision," Jessica Arons, president and CEO of the Reproductive Health Technologies Project, said in a statement. "EC can be used safely and effectively by people of all ages and it should be available without unnecessary and arbitrary barriers."
The FDA determined that the cost difference - more than $10 dollars - between Plan B One Step and its generic versions could create an accessibility problem for women, especially for teenage girls.
"We hope and expect that all manufacturers of generic EC products will submit applications with the suggested labeling to the FDA immediately," Arons added. "The sooner generic EC becomes available without point-of-sale restrictions, the sooner people will be able to purchase a more affordable, time-sensitive, back-up birth control option without delay."
