First over-the-counter birth control pill expected to hit the shelves in coming weeks

The first over-the-counter birth control pill is going to be made available in stores and pharmacies across the country in the coming weeks, according to a press release from Perrigo, the pill’s creator.

In July 2023, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Opill, which is described as a daily progesterone pill for “all ages” and has garnered support from the American Medical Association and the Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine. The company announced Monday that the pill will hit the shelves by the end of March in one and three-month packs with a suggested price of $19.99 and $49.99, respectively, according to the press release.

“At Perrigo, we’ve been working to make lives better through trusted health and wellness solutions that are accessible to all for more than 130 years and that purpose is especially important when we think about reproductive health,” Triona Schmelter, executive vice president of Perrigo, said in the press release. “We champion the right of women and people to determine their own sexual health journey and the availability of Opill^® over-the-counter is truly a historic moment of which our entire organization can be proud.”

The company says that the pill is 98% effective if taken as directed and that making it available over-the-counter will help women struggling with “barriers to accessing more effective birth control options” that were “until now only available by prescription,” according to the press release. A six-month pack can also be purchased online at the company’s website for $89.99.

Some members of the FDA, however, raised concerns about the potential risks of the pill being accessible over-the-counter and used incorrectly, according to Reuters. An agency review warned of risks such as vaginal bleeding, breast cancer, and other progestin-sensitive cancers.

Walgreens and CVS stores are also planning on selling abortion pills in the next few months in select stores in New York, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, California, Illinois, and Rhode Island where the medication is legal. The United States Supreme Court is weighing a case involving whether or not the FDA rushed its approval of the chemical abortion pill and is expected to make a decision in the coming weeks.

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