Health Center offers Plan B OTC

By: Gentry Lassiter

Posted: 3/26/07

The Pat Walker Health Center is offering an emergency contraceptive over the counter to those in need.

In a Jan. 30 announcement on its Web site, the campus care provider indicated that it would offer Plan B $33 plus tax to students 18 and older with a government-issued photo identification form.

The Food and Drug Administration approved Plan B for over-the-counter use on Aug. 24, 2006, after a yearlong debate on whether it is safe for such distribution.

Plan B is an emergency contraceptive for victims of sexual assault or incidents in which unprotected sex or contraceptive failure has occurred, according to the Web site of manufacturer Duramed, a subsidiary of Barr Pharmaceuticals.

Plan B is most effective within 72 hours of unprotected sex and "when you have the hurdle of going to a doctor's office for a prescription, there's really no way you can get it within 12 hours," said Nicole Safar, public policy analyst for Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin, in a Knight-Ridder Tribune Business News article by Stacy Forster.

Lisa Terry, a pharmacist and acting director of the Pat Walker Health Center pharmacy, said that as many as 12 people have already purchased the medication since it has been offered over-the-counter by the pharmacy.

"All we do is check a student's government-issued identification, like a driver's license," Terry said. She said that foreign embassies can issue documents that would be acceptable forms for exchange students.

The announcement indicated that those who are younger than 18 can purchase the drug for the same price if a prescription is provided.

The side effects of Plan B would be similar to that of ordinary birth control pills, Terry said.

"Nausea would be the most common side effect," she said.

The medication is effective for up to three days after unprotected sex and provides 89 percent effectiveness in preventing pregnancy. But its manufacturer indicated that effectiveness decreases as time elapses.

Plan B is effective in preventing unplanned pregnancy, but could create problems with regard to sexually transmitted diseases, Terry said.

"The lack of counseling that was once done during the prescription process will no longer be available," Terry said. There is a substantial amount of literature informing users of Plan B that it does not protect against sexually transmitted diseases, but without the information doctors provide to patients on a personal basis, there could be miscommunication, she said.

"I think you should still have to see a doctor to get [Plan B]," said Kacey Hunt, a UA junior studying pharmacy. There might be some cases in which it would be proper to administer the pill without a doctor's order, but for the most part doctors should be involved, she said.

The UA Health Center also announced the prices of other birth-control products in the announcement. All prescription birth control products cost $20, except for the brands Yasmin and NuvaRing, which cost $40. Health center officials urged females to consult the Women's Clinic if they decide to change birth control.

Some pharmacists might be reluctant to sell such a drug because of its chemical effect and that state lawmakers should work to pass a "conscience clause" that would prevent health professionals from having to choose between their careers and their beliefs, said Matt Sande, legislative director for Pro-Life Wisconsin, in the Knight-Ridder Tribune Business News article.

Despite that Plan B is now legal for over the counter sale, some pharmacies still refuse to dispense it to women that way. A Knight-Ridder Tribune Business News article by Misti Crane gave an example of such an incident at Wal-Mart in Ohio.

When the pharmacy attendant asked pharmacist Brent Beams about it, "He shook his head and laughed," said Tashina Byrd, a woman who wanted to purchase Plan B, in the article.