Washington D.C., Dec 7, 2003 / 22:00 pm
Emergency contraceptives should not be switched from prescription to over-the-counter drugs, say the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB).
The bishops urged the Food and Drug Administration to reject a proposal to switch the status of emergency contraceptives in comments they filed Dec. 5.
The bishops submitted their report after the FDA invited comments on the proposal, in preparation for a meeting of the Nonprescription Drugs Advisory Committee and the Advisory Committee for Reproductive Health Drugs, Dec. 16. The committees are to consider making Plan B, or levonorgestrel-only, "emergency contraception" available without a prescription.
“The FDA has no mandate to promote and facilitate ways of preventing pregnancy that may cause the death of developing human life already conceived,” said the bishops’ statement.