“I am a board certified internal medicine physician in Amarillo, TX. I have spent 10 years working in Indigent Care. I do NOT support the idea of allowing Emergency Contraception (EC) to be dispensed over the counter.

"How can the low dose OC be regulated by prescription, but allow the higher dose of the same medicine be allowed to be sold OTC? EC is a serious medicine, with serious related medical implications. If EC is available OTC, who will be responsible for following the patient?

"Who is liable if the patient has a serious health consequence?  At what point did giving a potent reproductive related medication without having an established chain of responsibility become good medicine? A significant market for this EC would be assumed to be youth. If a girl is under 18 and trying to hide her consumption of and need for birth control, this OTC might appeal to her. However, the adverse consequences could be significant. It would seem to allow for safer sex, so I assume many women would have sex more frequently.

"I am very concerned the rate of STDs, including HIV, will rise as a result. As EC would be available with no restrictions, I assume many women would use it repeatedly, and quite possibly continuously. This is a very bad idea that needs to go away…” [from AAPLOG, J. DeCook MD, 27Feb04]