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This month marks two years since the first-ever over-the-counter (OTC) birth control pill launched in the United States (US). Now that Opill, a progestin-only birth control pill, is on shelves nationwide we have a highly effective, daily contraceptive option that doesn’t require getting a prescription or waiting for an appointment with a provider. The Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) approval of Opill in July 2023 was historic, and the story behind the approval offers important lessons that can inform efforts to bring other birth control methods OTC as well.

One year ago, we made history when the first-ever over-the-counter (OTC) daily birth control pill — Opill — became available in the United States! Opill’s rollout across the country in March 2024 made it the most effective form of birth control available with no prescription or ID requirement.

This groundbreaking advancement in contraceptive access came after two decades of advocacy, research, and movement building from Free the Pill coalition members and supporters.

Today, the Biden-Harris Administration made significant progress on their commitment to expanding access to affordable contraception by proposing a new federal rule that would expand access to birth control under the Affordable Care Act by covering over-the-counter birth control without a prescription or cost sharing and requiring insurance plans to share information about this coverage with consumers. The rule also requires plans to cover all contraceptive methods without a therapeutic equivalent, helping more people obtain their preferred method without out-of-pocket costs. This proposed rule comes after the U.S. Departments of Health and Human Services, Labor, and the Treasury issued a Request for Information on insurance coverage for preventive services last year, which received nearly 400 comments–including comments from Ibis Reproductive Health, the Free the Pill coalition, and many coalition members.