First OTC Pill for Birth Control Significantly Advances Health Equity

Due to a collective movement led by a coalition, approval of the first oral contraceptive pill (OCP) offered OTC was found to significantly improve health care equity, according to a study in Contraception.¹ Because of the movement’s success, they believe similar ideas can be explored to further transform health care access while simultaneously improving OTC contraceptive coverage.

“Oral contraceptives are the most commonly used method of reversible contraception in the US,” according to KFF.² “OCPs were first approved for prescription use by the FDA in 1960. Over 60 years later, on July 13, 2023, the FDA approved Opill (norgestrel), the…