The first contraception tablet that individuals should purchase with no prescription, referred to as Opill, is delivery to shops this week.
Perrigo, the Eire-based firm that makes Opill, stated the tablets must be obtainable to buy at retail pharmacies and on-line by the tip of March. The tablets are designed to be taken every day at about the identical time every day, and they are going to be offered in one-month packs for $19.99 and three-month packs for $49.99.
A spokesperson for CVS, one pharmacy that might be stocking the tablet, stated the tablets might be in additional than 7,500 of its shops nationwide and might be obtainable to order on the shop’s app. Individuals can go for same-day supply or pick-up in retailer to protect their privateness.
The U.S. Meals and Drug Administration accredited the over-the-counter use of the oral contraceptive final summer season in a landmark choice. Girls can now stroll into any pharmacy or log on to buy the tablets with out medical supervision; beforehand, contraception tablets required a prescription and needed to be allotted by a pharmacist.
Opill comprises solely the hormone progestin and prevents being pregnant in a number of alternative ways, together with stopping the ovaries from releasing eggs and making the uterus much less hospitable for fertilized eggs to implant and develop. As a result of progestin is lively for about 24 hours, it’s essential for girls to take the tablet day by day at about the identical time for it to be handiest. Underneath these circumstances, Opill is as much as 98% efficient in stopping being pregnant.
There are unwanted effects linked to the tablet, together with bleeding, bloating, and stomach ache. If these are extreme and persist, ladies ought to report them to their physician. Opill isn’t beneficial for girls with a historical past of breast most cancers or those that are additionally utilizing different types of hormonal contraception, akin to an IUD, patch, or implant.