- Start
- Jul 13, 202390% CONFIDENCEfrom the source
FDA Approves Opill, the First US Birth Control Pill Without a Prescription
- The FDA approved Opill (norgestrel) for nonprescription use on 13 July 2023, the first daily oral contraceptive sold in the US without a prescription[1][3]
- The approval went to Laboratoire HRA Pharma, recently acquired by Perrigo, which applied to switch the 1973 prescription pill to over-the-counter[1]
- The FDA noted that almost half of the 6.1 million US pregnancies each year are unintended[1]
- Opill shipped to retailers on 4 March 2024 and reached shelves that month at a suggested price of $19.99 for a one-month pack and $49.99 for three months[2]
Notable features
- Progestin-only pill, 0.075 mg norgestrel, one tablet at the same time every day[1]
- 98% effective when taken as directed, the most effective contraceptive sold over the counter, per Perrigo[2]
- Common side effects include irregular bleeding, headaches, dizziness and nausea; not for anyone who has had breast cancer, and not an emergency contraceptive[1]
References 490% CONFIDENCE
The first entry is always the pin's source. Overall confidence is a weighted average of how firmly each reference supports the start and end times used above; a reference counts half as much for every 180 days older than the newest.
- [1]90%fda.gov/news-events/press-announcements/fda-approves-first-nonprescription-daily-oral-contraceptivefda.gov· Posted Sep 25, 2026· Starts Jul 13, 2023 ✓· 95% of score
The FDA news release is headed "For Immediate Release: July 13, 2023" and says "Today, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved Opill (norgestrel) tablet for nonprescription use".
- [2]85%Perrigo Commences Shipments of Opill to Retailers Nationwideprnewswire.com· Published Mar 4, 2024· 3% of score
On 4 March 2024 Opill shipped to retailers for shelves later that month, at an MSRP of $19.99 for one month and $49.99 for three; 98% effective when taken as directed.[1]
- [3]90%Perrigo Announces U.S. FDA Approval for Opill OTC Daily Oral Contraceptiveprnewswire.com· Published Jul 13, 2023· 1% of score
Perrigo's release: Opill approved for OTC use for all ages, the first birth control pill available over the counter in the US; 45% of the 6 million US pregnancies a year are unintended.[1]
- [4]75%FDA approves first over-the-counter birth control pill (NBC News)youtube.com· Published Jul 13, 2023· 1% of score
NBC News report on the approval of Opill for over-the-counter sale.[1]
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