Advocates Refile EC Lawsuit: The Center for Reproductive Rights asks a federal court to reopen the center’s 2005 lawsuit against FDA’s imposition of age restrictions and pharmacy-only access to Plan B and other nonprescription emergency contraceptives. The lawsuit also requests adding Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius as a defendant, citing her December veto of FDA’s approval of Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd.’s Plan B One-Step for full OTC status, as “the Tan Sheet” reported here.
Plan B Available in University’s Vending Machine: The Shippensburg (Pa.) University student health center already makes Plan B One-Step available in a vending machine along with condoms and pregnancy tests as well as other nonprescription drugs. The York Daily Record reports here that FDA will determine whether vending-machine sales violate the current requirement that makes nonprescription ECs available only from pharmacists to consumers 17 years and up.
Korea’s Wider OTC Access Stalls: With the final session of the current National Assembly ending this month, time is running short for South Koream lawmakers to allow sales of 48 OTCs including analgesics, digestive aids and topicals at supermarkets and convenience stores, the Korea Herald reports here. If not approved, the legislation will expire because a new assembly will begin following the April general election. The country last year made a small number of OTCs available outside pharmacies and legislation was introduced to expand the selections, as we reported here, but the bill stalled due to opposition from pharmacists.
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