DLNews Health:

CVS and Walgreens have announced they will sell abortion medication at pharmacies after the FDA  announced it allows mifepristone to be bought over the counter with a prescription. Advocates applaud the move and say over-the-counter birth control access would help more women take control of their reproductive health.

Victoria Nichols, project director of a group called Free the Pill, said women often have to take time off from work or school or find transportation or child care to get into a doctor's office to get a prescription.

"Bringing a birth-control pill over the counter would address some of the unnecessary hoops folks have to jump through to get to a clinic visit to get a provider to give them a prescription," Nichols said.

Research from KFF finds that contraceptive care is falling short nationwide regarding access, cost, and patient needs and preferences.

Nichols added the FDA is currently considering proposals for over-the-counter or "OTC" birth-control pills.

"Right now, we know two companies pursuing an RX-to-OTC switch. One is focused on a progestin-only pill, and the other is focused on a combined oral contraceptive," she said.

Last fall, Kentucky voters rejected anti-abortion ballot measure Amendment 2.

Joseph Hammer, a Lexington resident and volunteer for Showing up for Racial Justice, said he talked with Kentuckians from across the political aisle about the right to an abortion and recounted the story of speaking at length on the phone with one pro-life resident.

"I say, 'So, can you commit to voting no on constitutional Amendment 2 in November?' And he said he would vote no. And so this is a self-identified conservative pro-life guy voting no. And that's why this amendment was defeated," Hammer said. 

Volunteers in Jefferson and Boyd counties made more than 100,000 calls to Kentuckians and held more than 20,000 conversations with voters.

References:  

Questions and Answers on Mifepristone 2023

Medication Abortion Guttmacher Institute 1/1/23

Home page Free the Pill  

Women's Health Survey 2022 KFF 

Source: Nadia Ramlagan