WASHINGTON (April 5, 2013)--A federal judge today ordered the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to lift restrictions on access to the morning after pill, a move that will make it easier for women to obtain emergency contraceptive pills that can prevent unintended pregnancies. The U.S. District Court Judge ordered the FDA to make emergency contraceptive pills available over the counter and without point-of-sale restrictions, according to Susan F. Wood, PhD, associate professor of health policy and the Executive Director of the Jacobs Institute of Women’s Health at the George Washington University School of Public Health and Health Services (SPHHS).
“For too many years women have not had timely access to over-the-counter emergency contraception and have had to find an open pharmacy and show a government-issued ID—regardless of their age,” said Wood, who formerly served as the Assistant Commissioner for Women’s Health at the FDA. “Hopefully, the FDA can now act on the scientific evidence that shows that timely access to emergency contraceptives can help prevent unintended pregnancies. This ruling will benefit millions of women and will benefit the FDA.”
The judge's ruling supports the FDA's decision that was overruled by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services in December 2011, Wood adds.
Dr. Susan Wood is available to talk about the decision and the impact that it will have on women’s health. To arrange an interview, please contact Kathy Fackelmann at [email protected] or 202-994-8354 or 202-309-5291.
About the George Washington University School of Public Health and Health Services: Established in July 1997, the School of Public Health and Health Services brought together three longstanding university programs in the schools of medicine, business, and education and is now the only school of public health in the nation’s capital. Today, more than 1,100 students from nearly every U.S. state and more than 40 nations pursue undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral-level degrees in public health. http://sphhs.gwu.edu/
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