Advisers for the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) have voted in favor of making Opill, a daily birth control pill, available for over-the-counter sale.
As CNN reported, two advisory panels for the agency voted unanimously to back the drug. The FDA isn’t obligated to follow advisers’ recommendations, but it usually does. If Opill is formally approved for OTC sale this summer, it will become the first daily contraceptive pill of its kind available for purchase in the U.S. without a doctor’s prescription. That could go a long way in eliminating barriers for people who need birth control but are uninsured or unable to see a doctor.
In a statement, Perrigo, Opill’s manufacturer, called the vote a “groundbreaking” decision for reproductive rights in America.
“Perrigo is proud to lead the way in making contraception more accessible to women in the U.S.,” said Murray Kessler, the drug company’s president and CEO. “We are motivated by the millions of people who need easy access to safe and effective contraception.”