Canada has approved the sale of the emergency contraceptive levonorgestrel 0.75 mg (Plan B) without a prescription. The product will be available “behind the counter,” allowing pharmacists to provide women with the drug.
Until now, the contraceptive product has been available in most provinces by prescription only, except for Quebec, British Columbia, and Saskatchewan, where women can access the product through pharmacists.
The Canadian decision comes as the Food and Drug Administration is considering whether to allow the sale of Plan B without a prescription for women aged 16 years and older.
“We are pleased that Canadian regulatory authorities have recognized that Plan B is safe and effective for use by women as emergency contraceptive and will make it available without a prescription,” said Bruce L. Downey, chairman and CEO of Barr Laboratories Inc., the company that markets Plan B in the United States. “Canada now becomes the 34th country that enables women to have more timely access to emergency contraception without a prescription.”