A U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) advisory panel unanimously endorsed a proposal to make daily birth control pills available over the counter on Wednesday, according to Axios.
The panel’s 17-0 vote comes after two days of committee considerations of HRA Pharma’s Opill. Should the FDA accept the panel’s recommendation, it would be the first time daily birth control pills are available over the counter, Axios reported.
Over the past two days, members of two FDA advisory committees weighed whether patients would be able to understand how to use the pill properly, adhering to specific label instructions such as the need to take the pill at the same time every day, without consulting their physician. Some staff worried that the clinical trial conducted by HRA Pharma showed some consumers had trouble following the instructions, which they noted could result in unintended pregnancy.
Committee members found this should not prevent the pill from being offered over the counter, as patients do not usually receive detailed counselling from their doctors, according to Axios.
“I do believe this is a viable option to support access and will support the prevention of unintended and unwanted pregnancies,” said Department of Veterans Affairs researcher Jolie Haun, a panel member who voted in favor of the pill, according to AP News.
The FDA is expected to announce its final decision over the summer.
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