First Over-The-Counter Birth Control Pill Coming To US Stores This Month

Perrigo announced on Monday that Opill, the first over-the-counter birth control pill, will be available in pharmacies and stores across the US and online later this month.

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Opill last year, allowing the US to join the dozens of countries that have already legalized over-the-counter birth control pills.

First Over-the-Counter Birth Control Pill to Hit US Stores

(Photo : WOJTEK RADWANSKI/AFP via Getty Images)
A so-called morning-after pill is pictured in Warsaw, February 24, 2024. Polish lawmakers voted on February 22,2024 to liberalise access to the morning-after pill, made prescription-only by the right-wing populist government ousted from power in October elections.

Opill, often called a "Minipill," works by using the hormone progestin to prevent pregnancy. According to the CBS News, the pill is 98% effective if taken at the same time each day.

Women will be able to purchase this birth control from pharmacies, grocery stores, and online by the end of March. It will be priced at $19.99 per month, $49.99 for a three-month supply, or $89.99 for a six-month supply, according to Perrigo, its parent company.

Dr. Jeffrey Singer said that women can benefit from the pill as they won't need a prescription to purchase a Minipill over-the-counter, calling it a mini step in the right direction.

However, Natalie Malone, a co-owner and pharmacist for First City Drugs, said it is important to consult a doctor. Malone said that women can still ask questions as people get birth control for different reasons, not just for contraception.

According to Emma Waters of the Heritage Foundation, women will attempt to use birth control to address other problems, claiming that this kind of strategy is ineffective.

Waters added that they want to keep birth control with doctors but not as an over-the-counter available drug. She noted that they want to emphasize expanding women's health care so that they would receive the diagnostic care needed to make the best decisions for themselves.

Dr. Tracey Wilkinson, a pediatrician in Indiana and a board member with Physicians for Reproductive Health, said that they hear stories of people being denied reproductive health care week after week, so they desperately need politicians and judges overstepping into the lives of patients and providers.

Wilkinson expressed her relief to know that birth control access will become less challenging for so many people, but especially for young people, as Opill becomes available in pharmacies nationwide.

In a 2022 KFF survey, two in five women of reproductive age stated that they would likely use over-the-counter birth control pills if the FDA approved them.

Reproductive Rights Activists Speak Out

According to The Guardian, reproductive rights groups celebrated Perrigo's announcement on Monday. However, some objected to the manufacturer's suggested retail price of $19.99 for a one-month supply and $49.99 for a three-month supply.

Maia Lopez, a part of a youth council that works with the Free the Pill coalition that advocates for over-the-counter birth control pills, said the price is still steep for many teenagers she knows, even though today is a huge step forward.

Furthermore, she shared that as a high school student in Texas who struggled to get on the pill under the current system and faced social stigma, she knows how important it is to ensure young people can walk into stores and easily access the contraception they need.