JURIST - Paper Chase: Bill proposed to force FDA decision on Plan B status

[JURIST] In response to what has been described as the "slow pace" by which the Food and Drug Administration [official website] is acting to approve the so-called "morning after pill" for over-the-counter sale, a bipartisan group of US representatives on Thursday introduced a bill that would make the drug available [press release] without a prescription after 30 days of the bill's approval unless the FDA makes a decision on the drug. The US government has been engaged in a protracted political fight over the drug, also known as Plan B [product website; FDA backgrounder], and the FDA has been accused of political posturing in deciding the drug's status [JURIST report]. In August, a high level FDA official resigned from the agency [JURIST report], asserting that in delaying its decision to make the drug available over-the-counter, the FDA was ignoring its own scientific findings that concluded the drug was safe for adult women. The drug continues to be available with a doctor's prescription. Reuters has more.

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