FDA schedules meeting to discuss over-the-counter birth control pill

The Food and Drug Administration has slated a joint committee meeting to review pharmaceutical company Perrigo's application to make its birth control pills available over the counter, which would be the first-ever daily birth control medication to be available without a prescription.

The Nonprescription Drugs Advisory Committee and the Obstetrics, Reproductive, and Urologic Drugs Advisory Committee will consider if the company's nonestrogen oral contraceptive can be made available without a prescription on Nov. 18.

HRA Pharma, a subsidiary of Perrigo, submitted its application in July, arguing that removing the prescription requirement for Opill, a progestin-only daily birth control pill, would result in more women having access to the contraceptive. Opill has been on the market since it was first approved by the FDA in 1973.

"More than 60 years ago, prescription birth control pills in the U.S. empowered women to plan if and when they want to get pregnant. Moving a safe and effective prescription birth control pill to OTC will help even more women and people access contraception without facing unnecessary barriers," the company said in a press release in July.