A daily oral contraceptive called Opill might soon be available over the counter, which would mark a huge move in making birth control accessible during a time of legal battles over reproductive health.
A panel of FDA advisors voted unanimously in support of the pill, but that doesn't mean it is approved or authorized for use yet. The FDA will make the final call, but typically takes the advice of the advisory panel.
Guest on Greater Boston said an over-the-counter birth control pill could offer a number of benefits.
Dr. Elizabeth Janiak, director of Social Science Research at Planned Parenthood of Massachusetts, said birth control pills are widely used and considered very safe.
"The pill has become more refined over the years, safer, now exists in many different formulations, as well as having led to the development of subsequent, shorter-acting reversal methods like the patch, the ring and the contraceptive shot," Janiak said.
Renée Landers, professor of law at Suffolk University, said the pill may present legal challenges if the courts uphold a ban on the abortion pill, mifepristone.
"If the courts uphold that challenge, then all bets are off about whether the courts will uphold any future drug, or any approval the FDA makes of any future drug," Landers said.
Landers said other challenges could lie ahead for Opill when it comes to cost and insurance coverage.
"I think it's a very fraught area," she said.
Watch: Over-the-counter birth control pill moves step closer to F.D.A. approval
