RALEIGH, N.C. — A pharmaceutical company, HRA Pharma, filed an application with the FDA on Monday for approval to sell birth control as an over-the-counter medication, meaning no prescription would be required. 

What You Need To Know

HRA Pharma has requested approval from the FDA to sell birth control over the counter 

Birth control currently requires a prescription from a physician or certified pharmacist

HRA Pharma claims that women can monitor their own risks and side effects from using the hormone-based pill

 

Emily Merrill filling prescriptions at Person Street Pharmacy.

 

Emily Merrill of Person Street Pharmacy is one of the few pharmacists who are currently licensed to prescribe birth control and although she would like to see easier access for women, she's not convinced making it an over-the-counter drug is the best idea.

“I think you need to have a relationship with some sort of provider for that, just if anything else to counsel when you should take it, how you should start it, if you miss a pill what should you do,” Merrill said. “I don't think it should be something over the counter for people to just take.”

Currently a physician must sign off on birth control because of its many potential side effects, including increased risk of blood clots, heart attack, stroke and even breast cancer.

A pharmacist prepping medication for a prescription.

“There are a lot of side effects and there are a lot of contraindications for people who shouldn't be on birth control, so it's something that has to be monitored,” Merrill said. “You can't have this over counter. How you are going to say, 'Just pick one and go ahead and get started.'”

Now that women no longer have abortion as a back up, making birth control more accessible is the focus of many groups, but Merrill said once pharmacists certified to prescribe birth control become mainstream, it should solve the issue of access and also open the door to those without a physician. 

“It's going to take some time to get built into the infrastructure of the pharmacies,” Merrill said. “It's good if people don't have insurance, they can come here — it's probably a much cheaper route — and it's good just to help people that want to be on birth control and don't have primary care providers.”

Until the FDA acts on the application, women can go through their primary physician or certified pharmacists for a prescription.