Judge Approves FDA Plan to Broaden Access to One-Pill Emergency Contraception

A federal judge June 12 signed off on the government’s plan to comply with an April court order mandating that the Food and Drug Administration make emergency contraception available without a prescription to all ages and without a point-of-sale restriction (Tummino v. Hamburg, E.D.N.Y., 1:12-cv-00763-ERK-VVP, 6/12/13).

Judge Edward R. Korman of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York said the government’s plan—which will provide unrestricted over-the-counter access to Plan B One-Step, a one-pill variant of emergency contraception—sufficiently complied with his orderr. FDA’s plan would not broaden access to the cheaper, two-pill generic versions ...