Free the Pill and the European Consortium for Emergency Contraception hosted an exciting webinar highlighting key lessons learned from recent efforts to expand access to over-the-counter (OTC), also referred to as non-prescription, daily birth control pills in the United States and United Kingdom. Panelists from the Association of the European Self-Care Industry (AESGP), Ibis Reproductive Health, Maxwellia, Perrigo, and the European Network of the International Planned Parenthood Federation shared the history behind the switch of progestin-only pills from prescription-only to non-prescription status in the US and UK, detailing the partnerships, advocacy, and research strategies that were necessary for regulatory change, and discussed the potential that removing the prescription requirement for oral contraceptives has for improving access and breaking down barriers to contraceptive care.
Watch the recording, below, to learn more about how this new channel of access is impacting communities as well as opportunities, challenges, and strategies for pursuing similar efforts in other countries!