Thursday, August 23, 2007
"Morning After Pill" Back in the News
Despite opposition from White House against the action, the FDA could not withhold approval for sale of Plan B (known as the Morning After Pill) without prescription to women over the age of 18. It was made available as an over-the-counter drug on August 24, 2006.
David Crary of Associated Press reported on August 22,2007:
In the year since it was approved for over-the-counter sales, the morning-after pill has become a huge commercial success for its manufacturer, but its popularity and solid safety record haven't deterred critics from seeking to overturn the milestone ruling. The pill, marketed by Barr Pharmaceuticals Inc. as Plan B, was the focus of bitter debate for three years. After repeated delays, the Food and Drug Administration declared on Aug. 24, 2006 that customers 18 and older should be able to buy it in pharmacies without a prescription. Barr began distributing the over-the-counter version last November, and all national pharmacy chains now stock it. The company projects that sales of Plan B will total about $80 million for 2007, almost double the total for 2006 and up eightfold from 2004, when Barr acquired the product as a prescription-only drug. |
A clear indication that more and more women believe they should be able to enjoy sex without fear of unwanted pregnancy. The usual suspects, however, are up in arms about over-the-counter availability of Plan B. The Catholic Church and pro-life groups (among them Concerned Women For America) have joined together in attempts to overturn the FDA's ruling. The home page of CWA, based in Washington DC, contains this declaration:
- "CWA is built on prayer and action.
- We are the nation's largest public policy women's organization with a rich 28-year history of helping our members across the country bring Biblical principles into all levels of public policy."
Well, one would think that women who follow CWA's Biblical principles could simply stay away from Plan B.
Dennis: What? Odette: I just want to know the kind of guy I'm marrying.
Dennis: I'm starting to get the distinct impression you don't want to do this anymore."
---From Sarah Kernochan's 1998 film "Strike"(also released as "All I Wanna Do")
