Federal judge orders FDA to make morning-after pill available to people of any age

[JEDI]

http://www.cnn.com/2013/04/05/health/morning-after-pill/index.html?hpt=hp_t2

federal judge in Brooklyn has ordered the FDA to make the morning-after birth control pill available over the counter to people of any age without a prescription, overturning a decision by Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius to require a prescription for girls under 17 years old.


oh yeah i can see the christian right throwing a tantrum over this

 

[michal1980]

government - the new parent.

 

[nehalem256]

So when are they going to make regular BC pills available otc like Republican Bobby Jindal proposed

 

[nehalem256]

http://www.cnn.com/2013/04/05/health/morning-after-pill/index.html?hpt=hp_t2

federal judge in Brooklyn has ordered the FDA to make the morning-after birth control pill available over the counter to people of any age without a prescription, overturning a decision by Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius to require a prescription for girls under 17 years old.


oh yeah i can see the christian right throwing a tantrum over this

Many developed countries require a prescription for oral contraceptives, including Canada and most of Europe, but many other countries sell the pill without a prescription even formally or informally.

So is the Christian right secretly in control of Canada and most of Europe?

 

[TechBoyJK]

http://www.cnn.com/2013/04/05/health/morning-after-pill/index.html?hpt=hp_t2

federal judge in Brooklyn has ordered the FDA to make the morning-after birth control pill available over the counter to people of any age without a prescription, overturning a decision by Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius to require a prescription for girls under 17 years old.


oh yeah i can see the christian right throwing a tantrum over this

Cool, so I can just get a bunch of pills and keep them by my nightstand. Bang girls without a condom, put the pill in the omelet I make them in the morning. Legit.

 

[xBiffx]

Folks, here begins your zombie apocalypse. So it will be caused by lack of medical restraint after all. Well, I'm ready.

On a more serious note, since when does the judicial branch start dictating medical policy? I didn't know medical school coincided with law school.

 

[kami333]

So is the Christian right secretly in control of Canada and most of Europe?

I think that's just poor writing, I believe you can get PlanB in Canada without a prescription, however you need one for taking it as a regular oral contraceptive. Which is a completely separate issue as the FDA has never approved a drug for indefinite continuous usage for OTC.

EC is easy to find because it is now available in Canadian pharmacies without a prescription

http://www.sexualityandu.ca/birth-control/emergency-contraception-morning-after-pill

 

[nehalem256]

I think that's just poor writing, I believe you can get PlanB in Canada without a prescription, however you need one for taking it as a regular oral contraceptive. Which is a completely separate issue as the FDA has never approved a drug for indefinite continuous usage for OTC.


http://www.sexualityandu.ca/birth-control/emergency-contraception-morning-after-pill

I can see how that could be the case. You would think they would be able to write a 4 paragraph article that wasn't that dumb.

 

[HomerJS]

Bad idea. We put age restrictions on lots of things because of a maturity level required.

 

[MomentsofSanity]

Cool, so I can just get a bunch of pills and keep them by my nightstand. Bang girls without a condom, put the pill in the omelet I make them in the morning. Legit.

Sure, if you think slipping medications to people without their knowledge or consent would fly in a court of law, then yes that would be correct.

 

[xBiffx]

Bad idea. We put age restrictions on lots of things because of a maturity level required.

Also, the health risks. But that plays exactly into what you were saying. These KIDS are not mature enough to have restraint and they will abuse this and cause harm to themselves.

 

[surfsatwerk]

Also, the health risks. But that plays exactly into what you were saying. These KIDS are not mature enough to have restraint and they will abuse this and cause harm to themselves.

Or we will have fewer children having children that become a burden on the state.

 

[Charles Kozierok]

There should be no problem with the Christian right. I mean, they always say it is up to parents to ensure their kids behave properly, and that "abstinence only" sex education works.

So none of their kids will ever need this.

 

[EagleKeeper]

Folks, here begins your zombie apocalypse. So it will be caused by lack of medical restraint after all. Well, I'm ready.

On a more serious note, since when does the judicial branch start dictating medical policy? I didn't know medical school coincided with law school.

The judge is not dictating policy.

Existing policy is discriminatory by age and endangers the health of a minor that is mot justified.

 

[xBiffx]

The judge is not dictating policy.

How? They are forcing the sale (the availability to buy is maybe less harsh language) of a drug regardless of medical condition. This countermines the policy of HHS already in place.

 

[nehalem256]

The judge is not dictating policy.

Existing policy is discriminatory by age and endangers the health of a minor that is mot justified.

So when are the courts going to mandate minors be allowed to purchase cigarettes and alcohol?

 

[surfsatwerk]

How? They are forcing the sale (the availability to buy is maybe less harsh language) of a drug regardless of medical condition.

The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists recommended last year that oral contraceptives be sold over the counter without a prescription in an effort to reduce the number of unintended pregnancies in the United States.

Seems reasonable.

 

[xBiffx]

So when are the courts going to mandate minors be allowed to purchase cigarettes and alcohol?

To be fair, those are illegal (for minors). This isn't necessarily illegal, it just goes against policies that were in place at HHS already.

 

[nehalem256]

The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists recommended last year that oral contraceptives be sold over the counter without a prescription in an effort to reduce the number of unintended pregnancies in the United States.

My understand is this was oral contraceptives in general not just the morning after pill. Its a different issue.

 

[xBiffx]

Seems reasonable.

Seems like they don't plan on unintended consequences. One of doctors main principles is "first, do no harm." I think they threw that out the window in the hopes of fixing a problem society has. All the while disregarding the well being of the individual, the patient. But then again, there is no patient here. They effectively eliminated that role with this ruling.

 

[nehalem256]

To be fair, those are illegal (for minors). This isn't necessarily illegal, it just goes against policies that were in place at HHS already.

So its not illegal to sell prescription drugs to people without a prescription?:hmm:

 

[kami333]

How? They are forcing the sale (the availability to buy is maybe less harsh language) of a drug regardless of medical condition. This countermines the policy of HHS already in place.

Problem is that the age based restriction wasn't based on any scientific reasoning in the first place.

 

[xBiffx]

Problem is that the age based restriction wasn't based on any scientific reasoning in the first place.

Not entirely perhaps, but its proven that children, as a whole, don't have the maturity to make responsible decisions. So the same reasoning should be applied here. Only here, you also have a medical reason to deny this pill without a medical professional's consent first.

 

[WHAMPOM]

http://www.cnn.com/2013/04/05/health/morning-after-pill/index.html?hpt=hp_t2

federal judge in Brooklyn has ordered the FDA to make the morning-after birth control pill available over the counter to people of any age without a prescription, overturning a decision by Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius to require a prescription for girls under 17 years old.


oh yeah i can see the christian right throwing a tantrum over this

Women having power over their bodies and reproduction is anathema to any patriarchal power system. No surprise.

 

[nehalem256]

Not entirely perhaps, but its proven that children, as a whole, don't have the maturity to make responsible decisions. So the same reasoning should be applied here. Only here, you also have a medical reason to deny this pill without a medical professional's consent first.

For the same reason we have an age of consent.

It seems ridiculous to say that a child can't consent to sex, but can get PlanB without a prescription.