For Immediate Release: March 4, 2024  
Contact: Audrey Sandusky, asandusky@nfprha.org

First Daily Over-the Counter Birth Control Pill “Access Without Affordability” 

Washington, DC— Today, Perrigo, the manufacturer of the first FDA-approved daily over-the-counter birth control option (Opill) announced that it has begun shipping the medication to pharmacies across the US with a recommended retail price of $19.99 for a one-month supply and $49.99 for a three-month supply. The following is a statement from Clare Coleman, President and CEO of the National Family Planning & Reproductive Health Association (NFPRHA). 

"Today, in a historic win for advocates who worked for years to achieve this advance, Perrigo announced that Opill, the first FDA-approved daily over-the-counter contraceptive pill, will be available at retailers nationwide later this month. This is a big win at a time when access to sexual and reproductive health care is growing more and more imperiled. However, the manufacturer’s recommended retail price of $19.99 per month is just not affordable for many of the people who would most benefit from an over-the-counter option, including people without health insurance, those living with low incomes, and young people. Pricing can be a significant barrier to care, which is why NFPRHA and others working in the Free the Pill coalition urged Perrigo to set an affordable monthly price.  

"We can’t achieve access without affordability. As ever, NFPRHA will keep working to ensure that people seen in safety-net health settings like Title X family planning centers can actually get the contraception they need. We again urge the federal government and insurance companies to expedite full coverage by insurance, including Medicaid, as quickly as possible." 

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NFPRHA is a membership organization representing publicly funded family planning providers and administrators nationwide. NFPRHA advances and elevates the importance of family planning in the nation’s health care system and promotes and supports the work of family planning providers and administrators, especially those in the safety net. For more information, visit nationalfamilyplanning.org.