Attorney General Nessel wants nation's first OTC birth control pill FDA approved
(CBS DETROIT) - Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel is among 21 attorney generals that have submitted a letter urging the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to approve over-the-counter (OTC) birth control pills.
The attorney generals want the approval of the pills to meet applicable safety and efficacy standards, which includes a pending application for the nation's first OTC pill.
If approved, safe and effective birth control pills will become available for purchase over the counter, which would remove barriers that currently keep many people from being able to access safe and timely reproductive care, Nessel's office said.
In the letter, the attorney generals argue that approval of the pill would allow individuals - especially those from vulnerable populations - greater control over their health, lives, and futures, which would help them avoid the health and economic perils that come with unwanted pregnancies.
"This over-the-counter pill provides an important advancement in access to birth control for millions of women, especially Michigan women who, since the Dobbs decision overturning Roe v. Wade, remain in a holding pattern with regard to their bodily autonomy," Nessel said. "Easier access to birth control is valuable for women's health and self-determination and I am proud to join my colleagues in asking the FDA to approve HRA Pharma's pending application to make an over-the-counter birth control pill."
The FDA is currently reviewing an application to approve a birth control pill named Opill, for OTC use.
In the open letter to the FDA, the attorneys general assert that the pill should be approved for OTC use because:
- It has been found to be safe and effective for most users.
- It would remove barriers faced by many in obtaining birth control.
- It would provide critical help to people from vulnerable populations.
In the letter, the Attorneys General point out that approving an OTC birth control pill is supported by the medical community.
Three major medical organizations in the United States — The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, the American Medical Association, and the American Academy of Family Physicians — support making birth control available without prescription. Moreover, birth control pills are already available over the counter in approximately 100 countries, including Mexico.