The FDA, in accordance with the wishes of the American people, approved over-the-counter sales of the emergency contraception Plan B to women over the age of 18 in August 2006. This form of emergency contraception can reduce the risk of pregnancy by 89 percent if taken within 72 hours of unprotected sex.
The FDA's approval was a compromise of sorts, between those who wanted Plan B to require a doctor's prescription and those who wanted it available to younger teenagers. But now, pharmaceutical companies hoping to make sizeable profits are defeating the goal of accessibility.
While ending the requirement of a doctor's visit has dramatically decreased the cost of the drug to low-income women, Plan B's price is still steep. It can range from $25 to $45 for one dose, making it a bit cost-prohibitive to college students and low-income women ' those who might need it the most.
Two Ohioans even have been refused service. A Wal-Mart pharmacist in Springfield denied Plan B to a Columbus couple this week. The pharmacist was quoted in The Dispatch as saying, I believe in preserving life
and I do not believe in ending life and life begins at conception.
Companies and individuals do not have the right to break the law because they feel uncomfortable with the FDA's ruling. Wal-Mart stipulates that any worker who finds it uneasy to dispense the drug that the company stocks can refuse service. Essentially, a pharmacist at one of the largest retailers in the world has decided its private moralities outweigh the medical and legal obligation to provide women with Plan B.
The use of emergency contraception such as Plan B has reduced the number of abortions in America by 43 percent between 1994 and 2000 ' and that was when it needed a prescription, according to Planned Parenthood. Advocates argue that its now widespread availability will decrease the number of abortions even more.
Plan B can't help if women can't get it. Congress should put pressure on pharmaceutical companies to make it more affordable, so that any woman can get access to the drug, regardless of income, and forcing companies (Wal-Mart) to open up their stocks regardless of their personal objections.
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The emergency contraception should be less costly, more available to women who have a need for it
