For the first time, Opill, the nation’s first over-the-counter oral contraceptive pill, will be available this month. Opill will be sold online and in the family planning aisle of drugstores, convenience stores, and supermarkets. Advocates say the accessibility is welcome in the wake of diminishing abortion rights, but questions remain around access for those living in conservative states.
“Ensuring people have a wide range of contraception options for planning pregnancies is a crucial aspect of reproductive autonomy and has significant benefits for the health, economic security, and educational outcomes of Black women, girls, and gender-expansive people,” said Regina Davis Moss, the president and CEO of In Our Own Voice, in a press release.
Opill is a daily progestin-only pill, meaning there’s no estrogen in it. The drug was originally approved for prescription use in 1973, according to the Food and Drug Administration. A month’s supply will retail for $19.99, and a three-month supply will cost $49.99. Opill.com will sell a six-month supply for $89.99.
“Unfortunately, even with this welcome news, contraception will still be out of reach for many people who will not be able to afford to regularly buy contraception over the counter at the current price point and lack insurance coverage for other means of birth control that still require a prescription,” Moss said. “Affordability is an especially challenging barrier to equitable access to contraception for Black women, girls, and gender-expansive people, and cost is often top-of-mind. No one should have to choose between paying their bills and being able to control their reproductive futures.”
Birth control pills are available to insured individuals without a copay due to the Affordable Care Act, but not everyone is covered by insurance. In its announcement, the Opill manufacturer Perrigo said the company would provide a “cost-assistance program” to “help qualified low-income, uninsured individuals obtain Opill at low or no cost.”
Moss hopes policymakers will invest more funding for access to contraception and other family planning resources, promote insurance coverage without cost sharing or co-pays for all forms of contraception, and continue to lift medically unnecessary regulations on birth control access.
Earlier this year, the Free the Pill steering committee sent a public letter to Perrigo and other retailers nationwide, calling on them to set an affordable price for the first over-the-counter birth control pill in the U.S. The steering committee urges Perrigo and retailers to price Opill at no more than $15 for a three-month supply and to establish a comprehensive consumer assistance program so that everyone, particularly people who face financial barriers to contraception, can benefit from Opill’s move over the counter.
“We are committed to ensuring access for the communities that currently face the highest barriers to reproductive health care and would benefit the most from OTC options,” the steering committee members state in the letter. “A retail price of $15 for a three-month supply would help ensure that this groundbreaking product is affordable for those who face the most barriers to access, many of whom are also those with the least ability to pay. Additionally, a robust assistance program must be put in place by Perrigo to support those who are unable to pay the retail price.”
Moss said when you have access to contraception it may allow people to finish their education, get a job, or keep a job and ultimately help keep people out of poverty. Now that abortion deserts have been growing across the Southern U.S., Moss reiterates that Black women are more likely to be criminalized for abortion access.
“At the Latina Institute, we believe that everyone should have access to the full range of sexual and reproductive health care, including birth control,” said Ann Marie Benitez, the senior director of government relations at the National Latina Institute for Reproductive Justice. “As the first birth control pill over the counter, Opill could be a game-changer for Latinas/xs, who often face barriers to care due to transportation, cost, language, and documentation. For that to happen, we must ensure that this safe and effective birth control pill is affordable, fully covered by insurance, and available on store shelves without barriers.”
