As Republicans around the country continue their quest to control women’s reproductive health, two Food and Drug Administration panels approved by a unanimous vote a birth control medication for over-the-counter sale without a prescription, CBS News reports.
HRA Pharma’s proposed Opill brand product would be the first birth control pill available without a prescription, opening the availability of the medication to consumers. Opill’s primary agent is a drug called norgestrel, which has been prescribed since the 1970s. Today’s prescription birth control formulations normally include multiple medications including estrogen.