United States: According to the governor’s notification, Tony Evers, people on Medicaid in Wisconsin will soon have the first over-the-counter birth control pill. This implies that they can freely get contraceptive drugs without having to pay for them or for a physician’s prescription, as reported by Reuters.
Evers, the Democratic governor, said in his opening address that late last year, he would work to open up the opportunity to benefit people in the BadgerCare program. Some Medicaid-approved pharmacies will be able to start dispensing it on Tuesday for limited areas, to be followed by further expansion of availability in the coming weeks, he said in a press release.
She said it was crucial to have the drug as we witness heightened attacks on women’s freedom not only in Wisconsin but around the country as well.
Accessible Contraception
BadgerCare Plus currently includes nonprescription daily oral contraception after a prescription from an MSV. Evers’ new order will give Opill access without an authorized prescription and with no out-of-pocket costs.
The wholesale price estimated by manufacturer Perrigo for a one-month supply is approximately $20.
FDA Approval
In July, The Food and Drug Administration permitted the sale of once-a-day Opill without a prescription.
Women can now avail of more contraception options across the country, not just to those on Medicaid, amid the ongoing legal and political battles about reproductive rights, which includes the Supreme Court’s 2022 decision that overturned Roe v. Wade. And that ruling overturned the abortion access across the whole U.S.
Pill hormonal methods have been the most frequently used birth control in the U.S. for over 50 years – approximately 40 million women are using these hormonal methods nowadays. Previously, all medical marijuana products needed a prescription from Opill, as reported by Reuters.
Opill: A New Option
Opills are the first generation of contraceptives, also known as the mini pill, consisting of a single synthetic hormone called progestin. The side effects of using minipills are fewer in comparison to estrogen and progestin pills, which are widely used.