On August 24, 2006, the FDA approved Plan B, a brand of emergency contraceptives, as an over-thecounter drug. This was a victory for the groups lobbying for the change. A year later, though the law promises that all women have access to this drug just like any other over-the-counter medication, the distribution and accessibility of Plan B in some areas is sporadic or nonexistent.

It was this issue that the Students United for Reproductive Freedom sought to confront last Sunday with regard to the local community of Oberlin. By conducting a call survey of Oberlin area pharmacies, the group got a feel for the local distribution of Plan B, as well as the prices at which the medication is being sold and the behavior of the pharmacists who handled their calls.

Overall, the results were positive. Most of the pharmacies phoned were courteous, had Plan B in stock, and were selling it for between $35 and $45 – a reasonable asking price for this medication. Some of the pharmacists asked for the age of the caller, as Plan B is only available over-the-counter to people who are 18 or over. One pharmacist even referred a member of SURF to Planned Parenthood with any further questions she might have.

However, the group encountered some problems. A few pharmacies had a low stock of Plan B or the pharmacists were not aware of its over-the-counter status. Some of the pharmacies that were called were also closed on Sundays, which poses a problem for emergency contraception, as it is most effective when taken as soon as possible within 72 hours after an unprotected sexual act. In one or two calls, the pharmacist did not even know what Plan B was.

Pharmacies are not the only distributors of Plan B. It can be found along with other emergency contraceptives at hospitals, where the medication is utilized upon request in cases of sexual assault or battery. Unfortunately, according to the experience a SURF member who has worked in the sphere of public health facilities, only half of hospitals distribute emergency contraception on a consistent basis. Some facilities do not keep it in stock or will not administer it upon request, even in cases of sexual abuse, because of their objections to the medication.

The U.S. Senate attempted to address this issue in 2005 by creating the Compassionate Assistance for Rape Emergencies Act, which would have required all hospitals to provide access to emergency contraception in any case where a woman claims to have been, or the health experts at the hospital believe her to be, a victim of sexual assault. Unfortunately, this bill was never signed into federal law, although some states have adapted versions of it for their own legislature. Both SURF and Oberlin’s Sexual Information Center have been making their own efforts to increase the accessibility of Plan B on a more local scale, especially for college students and people in the surrounding area. For SURF, the next step in assuring accessibility of this medication is to take the results of the phone survey and put pressure on those pharmacies that do not provide emergency contraception or who have grave misconceptions about the information or the medicinal status of Plan B. Until these problems can be worked out, SURF urges consumers to take control of the situation by learning the facts about emergency contraception, either from the SIC, Student Health or www.plannedparenthood.com.