Are all birth control pills going to be available over the counter?

ribbon Medically reviewed Jul 2023 by Robin Watkins, CNM, WHNP-BC

Nope. Right now, there is only one brand pill that’s been approved for sale over the counter without a prescription. It’s called Opill and it’s a progestin-only birth control pill, or mini-pill. You take one pill every day, and it releases a small amount of progestin into your body to prevent pregnancy. Opill doesn’t have estrogen in it, so pretty much anyone can use it safely. There is another type and brand of birth control pill that contains estrogen and progestin that is going through the process to become available OTC, but it may be a few more years before that happens.

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