Birth control could be sold over-the-counter without a prescription under legislation introduced this week by U.S. Reps. Barbara Comstock (R-VA) and Mia Love (R-UT) in the House and U.S. Sens. Joni Ernst (R-IA) and Cory Gardner (R-CO) in the Senate.
Under the Allowing Greater Access to Safe and Effective Contraception Act, routine-use contraceptive manufacturers would be incentivized to apply with the Food and Drug Administration to sell their products over-the-counter to adults over the age of 18.
“Allowing over-the-counter sales of oral contraceptives would enhance women’s access, put decisions in their hands, modernize the health care system and lower birth control costs. It is a commonsense solution that could bring people together and help in ending birth control politics,” Comstock said.
The measure would also repeal the Affordable Care Act’s restriction on the use of health, medical and flexible savings accounts to buy over-the-counter drugs without a prescription.
“It’s time to put women in the driver’s seat of their own health care decisions,” Love said.
Ernst noted the legislation was straightforward. “Women wear many hats in their increasingly busy, daily lives; they should have the ability to access routine use contraception directly from their local pharmacy,” Ernst said. “This bill provides them with the opportunity to do just that.”
Gardner noted that it’s important for Congress to adopt a “modern and commonsense“ approach to contraception.
“Selling safe and effective oral contraceptives over-the-counter to adults will inevitably drive down costs and afford women the convenience to access their medication on their time,” Gardner said. “Our legislation recognizes the need to make contraceptives affordable and accessible, and it’s time that Congress put politics aside to allow women the ability to make their own decisions about safe, effective, and long-established methods of contraception.”