Plan B Finally Hit Pharmacy Shelves This Week

[Playinghardball]

Women’s health advocates have fought for over-the-counter access to emergency contraception for more than a decade, and their efforts were finally realized this week. Thursday, August 1 marked the day that pharmacies and grocery stories across the country were supposed to begin stocking Plan B on their shelves, available for purchase without a prescription.

The “Healthcare In Our Hands” campaign is celebrating by encouraging Americans to submit photos of Plan B on pharmacy shelves. On the campaign’s Tumblr page, the photos from states around the country are accompanied by captions like, “Thumbs up for emergency contraception over the counter, and increased access!”

This week is the culmination of a contentious battle that has stretched on for the past several months. The FDA used to require girls younger than 17 to obtain a prescription for the morning after pill — a policy that medical experts said was unnecessary, and a significant barrier to contraceptive access. In April, a federal judge ordered the Obama Administration to remove all age restrictions on Plan B so that women of all ages could purchase it over the counter. Federal officials were reluctant to comply with the judge’s orders and filed a legal appeal, although the administration did end up lowering the age restriction to 15. Eventually, in June, the administration gave up the fight and agreed to make over-the-counter Plan B available to women of all ages.

Before the age restriction was lifted, Plan B was kept behind pharmacy counters. Anyone who wanted to buy it needed to ask a pharmacist first, even if they were old enough to purchase it without a prescription. That led to some misconceptions about who was actually allowed to buy the contraceptive — and some pharmacy employees incorrectly told customers over the age of 17 that they needed a prescription, or incorrectly denied Plan B to men trying to purchase it.

More at: http://thinkprogress.org/justice/2013/08/02/2405751/slashing-racist-crack-sentences-has-already-saved-16k-prison-years-and-half-a-billion-dollars/

[kestrel91316]

1. I expect the pro-life crowd to go into pharmacies and try to hide it so

nobody can buy it.

You might want to have a link to the relevant article, though.

[darkangel218]

2. I wouldnt doubt it.

Fucking freaks!

[niyad]

3. this is something the woman-hating, pro-forced birthers have been fighting against--how in the

world are they going to stop it? are they going to have their people stationed in front of each display, taking pictures of whoever purchases plan b? probably not, because the stores and pharmacies probably won't go along with their tactics, and they could possibly get thrown out as public nuisances or some such.

will have to check my stores tomorrow and see if plan b is, in fact, available.

[Warren DeMontague]

4. K&R

[Warren DeMontague]

5. Also, I think you put the wrong link in.