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Daily Dose: EC to go OTC?
Aired December 16, 2003 - 11:39 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: Should emergency birth control be sold over the counter like aspirin and cold medicine? That is the question that the FDA has put to panel of scientists today. Holly Firfer is here with our details in the "Daily Dose." Good morning.
HOLLY FIRFER, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning. Yes, an FDA advisory board is listening to both sides of the debate over the morning after pill today. And what they're considering is whether a drug called Plan B should be sold over the counter. Now, right now it's available with a doctor's prescription, but many in the medical community want to make this a pill available at any time.
First, let's talk a little bit about what Plan B is. It's essentially two high dose birth control pills that disrupt a woman's normal menstrual cycle. Taken immediately after unprotected sex it can affect the transport of sperm or eggs in the fallopian tube preventing fertilization. It can also block the surge of hormones that cause ovulation. And it can thicken the mucus in the uterus and change the lining making it inhospitable for fertilized eggs to implant in the uterus.
But it cannot prevent a pregnancy that is already happened. That's very important. Once that fertilized egg has implanted in the wall, Plan B is ineffective.
Now, today's debate will focus on whether this should be available to everyone over the counter. This morning the company presented its reasons why it feels Plan B should be available over the counter.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CAROLE BEN-MAIMON, BARR LABORATORIES: Education and awareness programs seem to be working. But clearly we need to do more in order to decrease the incidence of unintended pregnancies and abortion even further.
Despite these programs, there are over 3 million unintended pregnancies a year, half of them ending in abortion.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
FIRFER: Now, the opposition to this plan is set to present their side. In an earlier interview with CNN, however, one group who opposed the idea explained why.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
WENDY WRIGHT, CONCERNED WOMEN OF AMERICA: If this is over the counter, it would be a high dose of this drug. So it's likely to cause all kinds of unknown problems. And women are more likely to use it repeatedly.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
FIRFER: Now, studies show because the pill contains only progestin there's no risk of blood clots and they found no major complication. And so far they've found no other major complications. But there are some side effects you have to know about. Those include nausea, abdominal pain, fatigue, headache and menstrual changes.
And there are some women who should not use this pill. And those include pregnant women, women with undiagnosed vaginal bleeding, or women with an allergy to the product.
And, Daryn, so today what they're doing is going to an advisory panel, presenting both sides. Later today they will vote on what they recommend the FDA should do: bring it over the counter or not. And that may take some time. So at the end of today we won't know for sure whether it is or not. We'll know whether this panel's advising it.
KAGAN: But we will be tracking it. Holly Firfer, thank you for that.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Aired December 16, 2003 - 11:39 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: Should emergency birth control be sold over the counter like aspirin and cold medicine? That is the question that the FDA has put to panel of scientists today. Holly Firfer is here with our details in the "Daily Dose." Good morning.
HOLLY FIRFER, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning. Yes, an FDA advisory board is listening to both sides of the debate over the morning after pill today. And what they're considering is whether a drug called Plan B should be sold over the counter. Now, right now it's available with a doctor's prescription, but many in the medical community want to make this a pill available at any time.
First, let's talk a little bit about what Plan B is. It's essentially two high dose birth control pills that disrupt a woman's normal menstrual cycle. Taken immediately after unprotected sex it can affect the transport of sperm or eggs in the fallopian tube preventing fertilization. It can also block the surge of hormones that cause ovulation. And it can thicken the mucus in the uterus and change the lining making it inhospitable for fertilized eggs to implant in the uterus.
But it cannot prevent a pregnancy that is already happened. That's very important. Once that fertilized egg has implanted in the wall, Plan B is ineffective.
Now, today's debate will focus on whether this should be available to everyone over the counter. This morning the company presented its reasons why it feels Plan B should be available over the counter.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CAROLE BEN-MAIMON, BARR LABORATORIES: Education and awareness programs seem to be working. But clearly we need to do more in order to decrease the incidence of unintended pregnancies and abortion even further.
Despite these programs, there are over 3 million unintended pregnancies a year, half of them ending in abortion.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
FIRFER: Now, the opposition to this plan is set to present their side. In an earlier interview with CNN, however, one group who opposed the idea explained why.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
WENDY WRIGHT, CONCERNED WOMEN OF AMERICA: If this is over the counter, it would be a high dose of this drug. So it's likely to cause all kinds of unknown problems. And women are more likely to use it repeatedly.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
FIRFER: Now, studies show because the pill contains only progestin there's no risk of blood clots and they found no major complication. And so far they've found no other major complications. But there are some side effects you have to know about. Those include nausea, abdominal pain, fatigue, headache and menstrual changes.
And there are some women who should not use this pill. And those include pregnant women, women with undiagnosed vaginal bleeding, or women with an allergy to the product.
And, Daryn, so today what they're doing is going to an advisory panel, presenting both sides. Later today they will vote on what they recommend the FDA should do: bring it over the counter or not. And that may take some time. So at the end of today we won't know for sure whether it is or not. We'll know whether this panel's advising it.
KAGAN: But we will be tracking it. Holly Firfer, thank you for that.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
