Making the Pill Available Over the Counter Should be Part of Broader Strategy to Enhance Contraceptive Access

OTC Status for the Pill Has Merit, But Needs to Be Treated as a Public Health Issue, Not a Political Talking Point

Washington, DC–(ENEWSPF)–November 17, 2015.  The evidence strongly supports making oral contraceptive pills available without a prescription, but any effort to do so should complement—rather than replace—policies to reduce barriers to contraceptive use, argues a new analysis in the Guttmacher Policy Review. In particular, moving the pill to over-the-counter (OTC) status should be…