The Food and Drug Administration's Aug. 24 decision to make the contraceptive Plan B available without prescription to legal adults finally put the weight of scientific evidence ahead of the political wrangling which had, for years, delayed the agency's approval.
Known as the ""Morning After Pill,"" the sooner Plan B is taken after unprotected sex, the greater the efficacy at preventing an unwanted pregnancy. Still, two primary concerns may hinder access to the drug.
First, minors must still obtain a prescription before buying the drug. The FDA's Office of New Drugs has expressed intentions to drop the age restriction if further studies show the drug to be safe for adolescents, but the delay smacks of the same politics that held up the agency's last decision, as numerous studies have already affirmed the drug's safety for these age groups.
Second, Wisconsin has had issues in the past few years with individual pharmacists refusing to stock or sell emergency contraceptives, a major issue considering the drug's effective time frame. Some state lawmakers have also tried to limit access to contraceptives, so far without success. Still, without a state or federal law guaranteeing access to Plan B, the FDA approval is only a partial victory.
Nonetheless, the nation does owe a debt of gratitude to Wisconsin for pushing FDA approval. In March, the Office of the Attorney General joined with the Center for Reproductive Rights' lawsuit alleging that the agency was violating its own process in delaying the drug's approval.
Hopefully Wisconsin will continue to play a role in ensuring better access to emergency contraceptives, not denying it.
