Clinton declares victory in morning-after pill battle

Pill to be available over the counter

By FRITZ MAYER

WASHINGTON, D.C. — New York Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton said she is pleased that the so-called morning-after pill will now be available without a prescription.

There has been a three-year battle in the senate to get a decision on whether the pill, known as Plan B, should be available without a prescription. On Thursday, August 24, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) ruled to make the pill available without a prescription to anyone over 18 years of age. The pill greatly reduces the chance of pregnancy when taken within 72 hours after unprotected sex.

Clinton, who pushed hard for the decision, expressed satisfaction, on a conference call with reporters, that the FDA had finally acted. She added, however, that by going against the advice of the FDA’s own scientific advisors for three years, the agency had become politicized. Because of the delay, Clinton and fellow Democratic Senator Patty Murray of Washington had been blocking the senate confirmation of Dr. Andrew von Eschenbach, acting director of the FDA, as permanent director.

Now that the FDA has made the decision, Murray and Clinton said they will no longer block the application.

Critics have maintained that the agency stonewalled the ruling because of the ideological wishes of the Bush Administration. Clinton said the ruling is about more than the pill. She said, “The announcement is a critical step in restoring the faith of the American people in the FDA, by demonstrating that the agency will return to its original mission of putting science before ideology.”

Some Plan B advocates, however, did not see the ruling as a total victory because the pill will not be available to woman younger than 18.

Cecile Richards, president of the Planned Parenthood Federation of America (PPFA), said, “We are troubled by the scientifically baseless restriction imposed on teenagers. The United States has one of the highest rates of teen pregnancy in the western world. Anything that makes it harder for teenagers to avoid unintended pregnancy is bad medicine and bad public policy.”

On the other side, conservative groups decried the ruling because they say even though Plan B will be unavailable to women under 18, anyone over 18 will be able to buy it and give it to teenagers. Tony Perkins, president of the Family Research Council, called the decision “political” and said, “An agency charged with protecting the health interests of the country must be held to high standards of accountability. Congress must respond to this outrageous action by the FDA.”

Unlike most over-the-counter medicines such as aspirin, Plan B will be kept behind pharmacy counters.

A two-dose prescription of Plan B currently costs between $25 and $40. The manufacturer, Barr Pharmaceuticals, has not said whether pills bought over the counter will cost more than those bought by prescription. The company expects to begin selling its product over the counter by the end of the year.