Health Care — FDA to review first over-the-counter birth control pill

We’ll probably reach a global population of 8 billion by the end of this year, at least according to the United Nations. 

In health news, the Food and Drug Administration will review an application for what could be the first over-the-counter birth control pill, amid heightened concerns for contraception access following the overturning of Roev. Wade.  

Welcome to Overnight Health Care, where we’re following the latest moves on policy and news affecting your health. For The Hill, we’re Peter Sullivan, Nathaniel Weixel and Joseph Choi. Someone forward you this newsletter? Subscribe here.

Feds receive application for OTC birth control pill 

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on Monday received an application for the first over-the counter birth control pill.   

The move came as the Supreme Court’s ruling overturning Roe v. Wade is heightening attention on contraceptive access.   

The application for a daily birth control pill available without a prescription comes from the drug company HRA Pharma.  

Don’t expect immediate changes: The FDA will likely take months to review the application, but the application itself is an important milestone.    

• The company pointed to research showing that 29 percent of women who had tried to get a birth control prescription reported ever having a problem getting one.  
• Over-the-counter birth control access has been a long-running push. More than 50 House Democrats wrote to FDA Commissioner Robert Califf on the issue upon in confirmation in March. 

The American Medical Association has also called for over-the-counter birth control access.   

“Providing patients with OTC access to the birth control pill is an easy call from a public health perspective as the health risks of pregnancy vastly outweigh those of oral contraceptive use,” David Aizuss, an AMA board member, said in a statement last month.  

Read more here. 

Biden: Abortions must be provided in emergencies

The Biden administration on Monday said doctors and hospitals need to follow federal law and provide abortions if there is a medical emergency and the health or life of the patient is at risk, regardless of state law. 

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) reaffirmed that the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act (EMTALA)  protects providers when offering legally mandated, life- or health-saving abortion services in emergency situations.  

• Administration officials said the federal government can penalize doctors or hospitals that fail to provide care in those circumstances.  
• Under the law, if an emergency medical condition is found to exist, the hospital must provide available stabilizing treatment or an appropriate transfer to another hospital that has the capabilities to provide stabilizing treatment.  

Old law: EMTALA has been on the books for over 30 years….