You Can Now Buy Birth Control Pills Without a Prescription

You can now buy over-the-counter birth control pills at the same pharmacies you’d go to for condoms, cough syrup and cosmetics – without a prescription. You can even purchase the blister packs online. The generic name for the drug is norgestrel.

The pills approved for retail sale by the Food and Drug Administration are not new; what’s new is the option to get them in a retail setting without involving a medical practitioner. Norgestrel has been around since 1973 and has long been considered safe for most women.

What Are OTC Birth Control Pills Like?

Norgestrel is known as a mini-pill. While many birth control pills are made with estrogen and progesterone, these contain only progestin, which is a synthetic version of the latter. Women at risk for getting blood clots have used norgestrel for decades.

Tests show that norgestrel is 98 percent effective when taken correctly. That’s a key component: To rely on norgestrel to keep you from getting pregnant, you’ll need to swallow a pill at the same exact time every single day. It’s 91 percent effective if you don’t follow that rule. If you mess up the schedule, use a condom, diaphragm or spermicide during sex for the next 48 hours until your body gets back on track.

Benefit of OTC Birth Control Pills

The biggest upside of women being able to pluck a box a month is access, plain and simple. Since more than 3 million pregnancies in the United States are unplanned each year, this grab-and-go product might help decrease that number.

Who does it help?

• Uninsured women. Many women don’t have medical insurance, which helps cover contraception expenses. This way, you can buy a box, or a three- or six-month supply, without insurance expenses.
• Women without doctors. Some don’t have a doctor at all. And if you do have a primary care or OB/GYN physician but you’re too busy to schedule and show up for an appointment, you can still get access to birth control pills.
• Teenagers. Norgestrel has no age limit. That means a woman of any childbearing age, or her partner, can prevent pregnancy by purchasing this form of birth control without showing ID.
• Low-income women. Norgestrel’s manufacturer prices it at about $20 a month, and offers price assistance if you’re uninsured and your income is at or below 200 percent of the federal poverty level.
• Women in a hurry. It takes 48 hours for norgestrel to be effective; that’s less time than it will take to get to a doctor, fill a prescription and start another birth control pill. Be sure to use a condom or another barrier method of birth control the first two days — or to be safe, a whole week — before you rely on the pills alone to keep you from getting pregnant.

While no birth control pill is right for every woman, norgestrel is safe for many. It won’t lead to blood clots. If you’re on any other medication, ask a doctor or pharmacist if the other drug might make your norgestrel less reliable.

What To Expect with Norgestrel

All birth control pills have side effects in some women. That’s true for norgestrel too, but they’re generally few and mild. These are possible side effects:

• Spotting
• Bloating
• Cramps
• Nausea
• Increased appetite
• Dizziness
• Acne

Do not take norgestrel if you’re pregnant or if you’ve had breast cancer.  

It’s fine to take the pills and use a condom; those are a terrific addition if you want to protect yourself against sexually transmitted diseases.

This is a huge step forward for women’s health. You can get proven effective birth control pills with ease.