What is the difference between Opill and the mini-pill (the progestin-only birth control pill)?

Opill is a progestin-only birth control pill (also called the mini-pill), that is available over the counter. That means you don’t need a prescription to get it. Opill is available on Amazon, Opill’s website, and some drugstores, convenience stores, and grocery stores. A store brand version, simply called “norgestrel daily oral contraceptive,” is also available at Walgreens and CVS.

Opill and norgestrel daily contraceptive contain the same type of hormone and work the same way as other progestin-only birth control pills. The only difference between the over-the-counter birth control and prescription birth control is how you get it. Like all other versions of the mini-pill, Opill is estrogen-free and contains a single hormone, progestin. The main way progestin prevents pregnancy is by thickening cervical mucus, which makes it harder for sperm and egg to meet. To be effective at preventing pregnancy, Opill (like most mini-pills) should be taken as close as possible to the same time every day.