@@ Opill birth control now approved OTC

[wanderingback]

It’s official!
The fda committee had recommended its approval back in May, but the FDA officially approved it today. The manufacturer said it should be ready by January.

I Hope they keep to their promise of keeping it affordable. Also, I hope insurance covers it.

This has been a lot of work by lots of people for many years to make this happen! It’s nice to have a small win.

[formerlyak]

I saw this and think it’s fantastic!

Honest question. How would insurance cover it if it’s over the counter? And that could actually make it more expensive. Claritin, for example, is over the counter but I can get a prescription for it so that insurance will cover it. But my co-pay for it was more expensive than just buying it off the shelf (same dosage and number of pills).

Another question that may not be known yet. How does this one work? I know there are some bcps that pro-lifers find to be akin with abortion and are working to get those banned. Is this one in that category and so ultimately it will only be available in places where abortion is legal?

[wanderingback]

Jul 13, 2023 8:33:09 GMT -5 formerlyak said:

I saw this and think it’s fantastic!

Honest question. How would insurance cover it if it’s over the counter? And that could actually make it more expensive. Claritin, for example, is over the counter but I can get a prescription for it so that insurance will cover it. But my co-pay for it was more expensive than just buying it off the shelf (same dosage and number of pills).

Another question that may not be known yet. How does this one work? I know there are some bcps that pro-lifers find to be akin with abortion and are working to get those banned. Is this one in that category and so ultimately it will only be available in places where abortion is legal?

So my patient population is mostly Medicaid so I can only speak to that. Medicaid in my area typically covers things OTC. So I often write prescriptions for things like ibuprofen and Tylenol cause then my patients can get it for $0 or $2 for example. I write prescriptions for Plan b as well because insurance covers it. Medicaid here also covers the cost of condoms for example. So if insurance covers it it will often be cheaper or free for many people depending on the plan.

As far as how it works and states that ban clinics and hospitals from providing abortion care. Birth control and emergency contraception are NOT abortion pills. Therefore in any state that has restrictions on providing abortion care those specific laws would not apply to birth control and emergency contraception.

I do not know any specific legislation that has made any traction right now that will ban birth control options (other than abortion since that is indeed a birth control option!).

[formerlyak]

wanderingback thank you. I’m glad that’s how it works for Medicaid patients. Definitely different from private insurance.

I do understand that bcp is not an abortion pill. But if I remember correctly, and it’s been almost a decade since I’ve been on the pill so this may no longer be the case, is that there were a few ways bcp work. Some prevent ovulation. Others make the lining of the uterus thin so an embryo can’t implant. The later has been a target of super conservatives (they talked about it when I had to go to marriage counseling to get married in a Catholic Church for my first marriage), because in that case the egg has already been fertilized and they believe that makes it a baby so that kind of pill is an “abortion” in their mental gymnastics. That’s why I was curious.

[wanderingback]

Jul 13, 2023 9:03:47 GMT -5 formerlyak said:

wanderingback thank you. I’m glad that’s how it works for Medicaid patients. Definitely different from private insurance.

I do understand that bcp is not an abortion pill. But if I remember correctly, and it’s been almost a decade since I’ve been on the pill so this may no longer be the case, is that there were a few ways bcp work. Some prevent ovulation. Others make the lining of the uterus thin so an embryo can’t implant. The later has been a target of super conservatives (they talked about it when I had to go to marriage counseling to get married in a Catholic Church for my first marriage), because in that case the egg has already been fertilized and they believe that makes it a baby so that kind of pill is an “abortion” in their mental gymnastics. That’s why I was curious.

All birth control pills prevent ovulation.
It doesn’t matter what their mental gymnastics say with the laws that are on the books now because there is specific wording in the laws in regards to abortion care and the bans on providing that care, so those laws don’t apply to birth control pills currently.

[formerlyak]

Thanks wanderingback

[noodleoo]

This is amazing news! Especially now with the fall of Roe v Wade (still so depressing to type that out).

[penguingrrl]

That’s great news! I also didn’t realize that Medicaid covered over the counter meds, condoms, etc with a prescription and I’m so glad to hear that it does, so thanks for that. I’ve often wondered how folks without means covered those costs when I see how quickly they accumulate for a family and am very relieved to hear there are options for those who need help.

[basilosaurus]

I'm pretty sure it's been btc for a number of years in Oregon.

When I was in Colorado I was a volunteer with hope (hormones with optional pelvic exam) so people could walk in to pp and get pills without full on doctor visit. It had incredible results in reducing unwanted pregnancy, 15 or so years ago. I'm hopefully for this

[basilosaurus]

Also since you mentioned other countries, I know this is an n of 2, but everything except Tylenol is btc. Ibuprofen, naproxen, tramadol, pepto are treated as equally "strong" so are btc. So is my prn Seroquel. And my snri. And I got abx just saying "I have uti" (which was very true, but no stop gap?) All without a doctor. But Tylenol is in everything, so toxicity should be a real concern

They said I'd need a script for bcp.

I have no idea why the different treatment.

[wanderingback]

Jul 15, 2023 7:58:21 GMT -5 basilosaurus said:

I'm pretty sure it's been btc for a number of years in Oregon.

When I was in Colorado I was a volunteer with hope (hormones with optional pelvic exam) so people could walk in to pp and get pills without full on doctor visit. It had incredible results in reducing unwanted pregnancy, 15 or so years ago. I'm hopefully for this

No, birth control pills weren’t over the counter in Oregon.

In some states, pharmacists are allowed to write prescriptions and dispense birth control methods, but def not over the counter with no prescription.

[basilosaurus]

Jul 15, 2023 15:32:08 GMT -5 wanderingback said:

Jul 15, 2023 7:58:21 GMT -5 basilosaurus said:

I'm pretty sure it's been btc for a number of years in Oregon.

When I was in Colorado I was a volunteer with hope (hormones with optional pelvic exam) so people could walk in to pp and get pills without full on doctor visit. It had incredible results in reducing unwanted pregnancy, 15 or so years ago. I'm hopefully for this

No, birth control pills weren’t over the counter in Oregon.

In some states, pharmacists are allowed to write prescriptions and dispense birth control methods, but def not over the counter with no prescription.

btc wasn't a typo (behind the counter) because, yes, the pharmacist has to prescribe. And that's the case for nearly everything except Tylenol here. So far the only thing I've needed a doctor's script is for the pill. It's odd to me