Although Plan B, the ‘morning after pill,’ became available without prescription in November, women still face high costs, age restrictions, and limited availability in some places.

Emergency Contraception: No Help If Women Can’t Get It
By Jeanine Plant 

Barr Laboratories began shipping Plan B to pharmacies nationwide on Nov. 6 on the non-prescription basis recently approved by the federal Food and Drug Administration.

That puts the pill within much easier reach.

But while access is now enhanced to the time-sensitive drug, barriers — including some prices nearing $45 — remain.

Because of its new non-prescription status, Carol Cox, a spokeswoman for Barr Labs, told Women’s eNews that the distributor does not expect insurance companies to provide coverage for it and that Medicaid does not cover Plan B in all states.

Health advocates recommend that, because it can still be difficult to buy Plan B on a timely and affordable basis, women should buy the emergency contraception even if they don’t need it, just to be on the safe side.

Women who can’t afford to buy Plan B can try clinics in some regions, such as Planned Parenthood, that will provide the product on a sliding-fee basis.

Because of the age restriction imposed by the FDA, most women under 18 years old must still acquire a prescription for it.

Exceptions are women under 18 who live in Alaska, Hawaii, California, Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire, New Mexico, or Vermont. They may be able to get Plan B directly from a pharmacist who participates in the state’s pharmacy access program, according to the National Women’s Law Center. States in this program allow Barr to ship the drug directly to participating pharmacists, rather than stores.

Women can also get men to buy Plan B.

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