You can still buy Plan B One-Step, the 1 pill emergency contraceptive brand, on Amazon. The current price is $46.90 and this might be the reason why:
It is normal for prices to vary from store to store, but such a steep drop in price raises red flags, especially since the wholesale acquisition cost (the cost for wholesalers to purchase the product from the manufacturer, Teva Women’s Health) is estimated to be $32.50 for Plan B One-Step. Wholesalers then sell the product for an estimated $39.00. Therefore, it is highly unlikely that any Amazon.com vendor would be able to acquire Plan B One-Step wholesale and sell it for $16 without taking a substantial financial hit.
Uni Pill, iPill, Next Choice One Dose, Plan B One-Step
The iPill emergency contraceptive pill (ECP) is now replaced with the Uni Pill brand on Amazon.
The other available one-pill dose ECP brands are Next Choice One Dose and Plan B One-Step. (Note the difference between Next Choice -- two-pill brand -- and Next Choice One Dose -- one-pill brand.)
So, update, make sure you have a dose handy if you're sexually active and aren't planning a pregnancy, and spread the word about emergency contraception.
Get It Together XO Jane! Every Pharmacy In New York Is Out of Plan B For a Very Rood Reason! Every One!
This article is intended as satire, I think. Unfortunately, it's poorly executed satire and the topic is birth control. That's a dangerous combination in dire need of a remedy, or two.
Here's mine:
Plan B isn't pining for the fjords, it's no more
Pharmacies are out of Plan B because Plan B has been discontinued by its manufacturer quite some time ago. So forget about Plan B and familiarize yourselves with the available emergency contraceptive pill (ECP) brands.
Next Choice and Postinor
Next Choice and Postinor (outside the US) are the equivalent of Plan B -- 2 pill levonorgestrel (LNG), a progestin, dose brands available without a prescription and on Amazon. Take both pills at the same time (disregard label instructions), as soon as possible after the act of unprotected intercourse, up to 120 hrs/5 days. The sooner you use it, the more effective it is.
Plan B One-Step, i-Pill/Nextime, and Postinor 1/Postinor2 Unidosis
Plan B One-Step, i-Pill/Nextime, and Postinor 1/Postinor2 Unidosis are 1 pill LNG dose brands also available without a prescription and on Amazon (Plan B One-Step and i-Pill/Nextime). The instructions for use are the same as for the 2 pill dose brands -- take the pill as soon as possible, up to 120 hrs/5 days. The sooner you use it, the better.
ella
This a newer type of ECP, a 1 pill ulipristal acetate (UA), a second generation progesterone receptor modulator, dose brand available by prescription only. Have your physician write an advance prescription, fill it, and keep it handy to use when you inevitably find yourself in need of it on that long holiday weekend at 3AM. Same instructions for use; possibly more effective than the LNG brands when used after 72 hrs.
*Emergency* Contraception Pill
ECP postcoital birth control is only to be used in an emergency for the simple reason that it's not as effective as the other available methods when used on a regular basis.
The most effective regular birth control methods are the IUD and the implant.
Bottom line
Forget Plan B, remember Plan B One-Step, i-Pill / Nextime, Next Choice, Postinor, Postinor 1/Postinor2 Unidosis, and ella. Don't substitute ECP for regular birth control. And, last but not least, even in emergencies avoid attempts at satirical articles on birth control.
The Emergency Contraceptive Pill (ECP), Still Restricted After All These Years
"Was I really raped if my skull wasn't fractured in the attack?" "Will I be allowed to set foot inside the ED if there's even the slightest chance that my mere pregnant presence could perturb an employee?"
When these are legitimate questions you have to ask yourself if you're a woman of reproductive age in today's America, it's likely you won't have much time and energy left over to ponder the nonsensical restrictions on the sale of ECPs, like Plan B One-Step, and the FDA's ongoing contempt of court.
So here's an update on the latest developments:
Teva, the manufacturer of the emergency contraceptive Plan B, announced that they filed an over-the-counter application for Plan B One-Step with the Food and Drug Administration this week. The application requests that the agency make the emergency contraceptive available without a prescription for women of all ages.
This development comes on the heels of the Center for Reproductive Rights filing a motion for contempt against the FDA for failing to follow a 2009 federal court order regarding Plan B. On March 23, 2009, Judge Edward Korman of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York found that the FDA's prior decision to limit over-the-counter access to Plan B to women over 16 was based on politics rather than science. He ordered the agency to reconsider that decision.
...
The Center originally filed a Citizen Petition with the FDA in 2001 on behalf of over 70 medical and public health organizations, asking the agency to grant emergency contraception over-the-counter status. When the FDA refused to rule on the petition, the Center filed a lawsuit in 2005 in federal court. In 2009, the court ruled that the agency had acted in "bad faith and in response to political pressure," not science, when it repeatedly and unreasonably delayed making a decision on Plan B, and that the agency had departed in significant ways from its normal procedures. Soon after the ruling, the FDA acknowledged its obligation to reconsider making Plan B available over-the-counter to all ages and said that it intended to make a final decision on the drug's availability to women under the age of 17. But this year, the agency admitted that it does not plan to reconsider the Citizen Petition, as the court ordered. As a result, the Center argues that the FDA has continued the same pattern of steady and repeated inaction seen during the previous administration.
And while we await the FDA's decision with trembling anticipation, just a reminder:
Emergency Contraceptive Pill News: The i-Pill Is Now Nextime
UPDATE: Looks like the i-Pill is back. So, the i-Pill and Nextime are the same drug, a one-pill 1.5 mg levonorgestrel emergency contraceptive pill, different brand names. Links for both the i-Pill and Nextime now go to their respective Amazon pages. See which one is available, buy it ahead of time, and keep it handy.
The one-pill emergency contraceptive brand i-Pill has a new name: Nextime
The Paras company acquired the i-Pill from Cipla and thought it a good idea to change the brand name. To one similar to another emergency contraceptive pill (ECP) brand already on the market. Brilliant, no? But I digress.
So, Nextime is a one-pill, 1.5 mg levonorgestrel (LNG, a progestin) emergency contraceptive pill. You take it as soon as possible after the act of unprotected intercourse, up to 5 days. The sooner you take Nextime, the more effective it is.
Both the i-Pill and Nextime are available on Amazon for $19.98.
Next Choice is a two-pill, 0.75 mg LNG per pill, brand. (Next Choice is the generic for the now discontinued Plan B.) The regimen for Next Choice is the same--take *both pills* at the same time (disregard the label instructions) as soon as possible after unprotected intercourse, up to 5 days. The sooner you take Next Choice, the more effective it is.
Next Choice is also available on Amazon for $52.75.
You should also be able to find Next Choice in pharmacies (behind-the-counter for women and men 17 and older; with a prescription for those <17 yo). Best to call ahead and make sure your local pharmacy has it in stock and to inquire about the price.
***Note: When you read any of the included links, replace "Plan B" with "Plan B One-Step". Plan B, a 2 pill brand, is no longer manufactured and it's been replaced with Plan B One-Step, a 1 pill brand.***
For more than a year and a half, the FDA and the Obama Administration has ignored a court order to reconsider its refusal to make emergency contraception (EC) available over-the-counter to women of all ages. The Center has given the FDA ample time to end its baseless restrictions, but as of today it has not taken any steps to comply with the court order—most recently saying it will wait to review a new application from the manufacturer that may or may not be filed at some unspecified time in the future.
The Center is now taking the FDA back to court and are calling on supporters to write the FDA Commissioner to take immediate action to end restrictions on emergency contraception.
At the start of his administration, President Obama declared that politics would no longer play a role in U.S. science policy, stating, "we make scientific decisions based on facts, not ideology." And soon after FDA Commissioner Margaret Hamburg was confirmed, she told reporters that it was her mantra to make FDA's decisions more "science-based."
So in March 2009, when the court ruled that the FDA acted in "bad faith and in response to political pressure" when it repeatedly and unreasonably delayed making a decision on Plan B and departed in significant ways from its normal procedures, it thought the new administration would "conduct a fair assessment of the scientific evidence." This has obviously not happened, and the Center is returning to the courts to make sure the FDA complies with medical and scientific consensus that says there is no rationale for age restrictions to emergency contraception.
ellaOne, the New Emergency Contraceptive Pill That Confuses the AP to No End
What is so complicate about the emergency contraceptive pill (ECP) that any MSM article about emergency contraception will invariably contain mistakes?
The article reports on a study that compared one type of ECP, ellaOne (30 mg ulipristal acetate), with another, NotPlan B (1.5 mg levonorgestrel). [I'll explain the reason for the made-up brand name in a moment.]
Briefly, ellaOne is an ECP from HRA Pharma containing 30 mg of ulipristal acetate, a progesterone receptor modulator that works primarily by delaying inhibiting ovulation. [It also works by delaying ovulation, but it's less effective, depending on the timing of administration.]
Here's what the AP article manages to get wrong (and why it matters):
ellaOne and NotPlan B
International researchers compared Plan B to the new drug ulipristal acetate, sold as ellaOne in Europe only with a doctor's prescription. The drug is not legally on the market elsewhere.
Experts tracked nearly 1,700 women aged 16 to 36 who received emergency contraception within three to five days of having unprotected sex. About half got Plan B while the rest got ellaOne.
So researchers compared Plan B with ellaOne, right? Wrong.
The researchers compared a single dose of 1.5 mg levonorgestrel with one of 30 mg ulipristal acetate. That is, they compared NotPlan B with ellaOne .
Plan B is a two-pill (two 0.75 mg levonorgestrel doses) regimen brand. [The other two-pill brand is Next Choice, the generic for Plan B.]
So why does it matter that the article confuses Plan B with Plan B One-Step? After all you can take both Plan B pills at the same time and, voila, one 1.5 mg dose. Two reasons.
First, medicine is not politics or religion. Facts and accuracy count especially when it comes to drug names, dosages, and regimens. A drug's efficacy and safety profile depend on the dosage and regimen. Just because you can use a drug on a modified regimen does not mean that Plan B magically transforms into Plan B One-Step.
Second, Plan B is no more. It has ceased to be. It's expired and gone to meet its maker. The manufacturer has discontinued Plan B and it's replacing it with Plan B One-Step.
On top of an incorrect report on what the researchers studied, the AP misses an opportunity to inform you of the rather important development that Plan B is no longer available. It also misses the opportunity to introduce Plan B One-Step, the replacement, and discuss how it differs from Plan B and what you need to know to use Plan B One-Step properly.
New morning-after [EC] pill works for up to 5 days...just like the old one
From the headline, New morning-after pill works for up to 5 days, to the key paragraph:
LONDON – A new type of morning-after pill is more effective than the most widely used drug at preventing pregnancies in women who had unprotected sex and also works longer, for up to five days, a new study says.
The report was published Friday in the British medical journal, Lancet.
Levonorgestrel, the most widely used emergency contraceptive pill, is only effective if women take it within three days of having sex.
So, the new ECP ellaOne works longer, for up to five days, than the older levonorgestrel brand which is only effective if women take it within three days of having sex, right? Once again, wrong!
First, the statement that levonorgestrel ECP brands are only effective if taken within three days of having unprotected intercourse is flat out wrong.
It goes without saying that you shouldn't wait for 5 days to use ECPs. If you are sexually active and are not planning a pregnancy you should keep the i-Pill / Nextime handy because the sooner you use the ECP, the more effective it is. But since none of us live in Perfect, there will be instances when, for whatever reason, you're not able to take the ECP right after having unprotected intercourse.
It is important for you to know that you have up to 5 days to use ECPs to protect yourself, and it is irresponsible for the AP to give you the wrong information.
Second, the Lancet study did not show that the new ECP ellaOne is better than the levonorgestrel brands. Rather, what it did show was what the study was designed to show, namely that ellaOne was no worse than Plan B One-Step. This may seem like a distinction without a difference, but it's not.
It's quite likely that ellaOne is more effective than the levonorgestrel brands when taken 3 to 5 days after unprotected intercourse but that hasn't been established yet and you should know that when deciding if ellaOne is the best emergency contraceptive option for you.
And since I mentioned that ellaOne (ulipristal acetate, or UPA) might be more effective, here's a bit more detail on that:
The reason [30 mg UPA prevented significantly more pregnancies than did levonorgestrel in the 72-120 hour subgroup] seems to be that UPA can delay ovulation when taken closer to ovulation than can levonorgestrel. By the time the leading follicle reaches 15-17 mm, follicular rupture is prevented within 5 days no more often after levonorgestrel administration than after placebo administration. In contrast, when taken when the leading follicle reaches 18-20 mm (and ovulation should occur within 48 hours) and the probability of conception exceeds 30%, UPA prevents follicular rupture within 5 days of administration in 59% of cycles, compared with 0% in placebo cycles. Follicular rupture failed to occur within 5 days after treatment with UPA in all women treated before onset of the LH surge, in 79% of women treated after the onset of the LH surge but before the LH peak, and in 8% of women treated after the LH peak. Another study found that ulipristal acetate altered the endometrium, but whether this change would inhibit implantation is unknown.
Bottom line: The sooner you take ECP after unprotected intercourse the better. All dedicated ECP brands--Next Choice, Plan B One-Step, i-Pill/Nextime, Levonelle One Step, and ellaOne--work for up to 5 days after unprotected sex. It remains to be seen if ellaOne is more effective in the 3-5 days period. Last, but not least, when you read a MSM article on ECP just assume it's wrong and go form there.
You should always have emergency contraception like Plan B One-Step, Next Choice, or i-Pill handy if you're not planning a pregnancy but you might not always be too keen on the expense.
Good news on the financial front. Between a $10 off cupon for Plan B One-Step* from the manufacturer and the i-Pill for only $19.98 on Amazon the cost of a safe afterglow has become a bit more affordable. So, no more excuses, if you plan to have sex go forth and buy the emergency contraceptive pill first.
Plan B One-Step and the i-Pill are one-tablet (1.5 mg levonorgestrel) packs. You take the pill as soon as possible after the act of unprotected intercourse, up to 120 hrs (5 days). The sooner you take the pill, the better.
Plan B and Next Choice are two-tablet packs. The instructions tell you to take the first pill as soon as possible after unprotected intercourse up to 72 hours, and the second pill 12 hours later.
In my post I mentioned that you should disregard the instructions and take both pills at the same time (as soon as possible, up to 120 hrs). And why should you do that?
To make it easier on yourself. Research has indicated that both doses can be taken at the same time (one Plan B/Next Choice pill is 0.75 mg levonorgestrel, two are 1.5 mg; Plan B One-Step/i-Pill tablet is 1.5 mg) so, by taking both pills at once, you eliminate the risk of forgetting/something preventing you from taking the second dose 12 hrs later.
More on Plan B One-Step and i-Pill/ Nextime, Next Choice and Plan B
Princeton's Reproductive Health Technologies Project has a great chart of FDA approved emergency contraceptive pills (.pdf) currently available in the US.
Print it out, memorize it, and keep it handy! [May I suggest right next to your bed, you know, because there's nothing quite like whipping out a reference chart to enhance the mood.]
Two important things you should know:
1. Plan B, the two-pill packet, is being phased out (it's been discontinued). Don't be concerned if you cannot find it anymore. Use Next Choice, the two-pill generic instead or, even better, use Plan B One-Step or i-Pill / Nextime, the one-pill pack.
If you use Next Choice, disregard the package insert instructions to "take first tablet as soon as possible within 72 hours after unprotected intercourse and the second tablet 12 hours after the first dose". You should take both tablets as soon as possible after unprotected intercourse, up to 120 hours (5 days).
2. i-Pill / Nextime, the same as Plan B One-Step from Cipla / Paras, is available from (of all places!) Amazon for only $19.98.
Bottom line: If you are of reproductive age, sexually active and not planning a pregnancy, the emergency contraceptive pill should always be within your reach. Don't wait for an emergency to happen and then launch into a mad dash to find a place that stocks it. Be prepared and have the emergency contraceptive pill handy.
SECOND UPDATE Nov. 2011: Back to i-Pill on Amazon, with Nextime now out-of-stock. The i-Pill and Nextime links now go to their respective Amazon pages. Just see which one is available and buy it, they're the same ECP.
UPDATE: The i-Pill's brand name has been changed to Nextime. I've changed the post to reflect that.
Leave it to Amazon to alert us to the availability of the i-Pill / Nextime emergency contraceptive pill. What is the i-Pill / Nextime?
Plan B -- 2 pills (0.75 mg levonorgestrel/pill); take both pills at the same time as soon as possible after unprotected intercourse, up to 120 hours (5 days).
i-Pill/Nextime/Plan B One-Step -- 1 pill (1.5 mg levonorgestrel); take the pill as soon as possible after unprotected intercourse, up to 120 hours (5 days).
The i-Pill / Nextime, like Plan B One-Step, is an emergency contraceptive pill. You take it to prevent pregnancy *after* an act of unprotected sexual intercourse. The sooner you take it the more effective it is (up to 89% reduction in pregnancy risk).
The i-Pill / Nextime doesn't work if you're already pregnant. It will not terminate a pregnancy.
Because the i-Pill / Nextime contains only a progestin (levonorgestrel) you can take it even if you can't use regular birth control pills.
The most common side effects are nausea, vomiting, breast tenderness--should resolve in a day or two--and menstrual changes. Most likely you'll have a normal period within the next month, but sometimes the next period can come as much as a week earlier or a week later than usual.
Last, but not least, don't use the i-Pill / Nextime as regular birth control. Once you've resolved the emergency, select a birth control method that meets your needs and use it correctly and consistently.
Bottom line: If you are a sexually active woman or man of reproductive age and you're not planning a pregnancy you need to have the emergency contraceptive pill handy.
The FDA has approved Plan B® One-Step, a new one-pill formulation of the emergency contraceptive Plan B.
Plan B® One-Step is one progestin-only pill (1.5 mg levonorgestrel) you take as soon as possible after unprotected intercourse (most effective within the first 24 hours). The i-Pill is another one progestin-pill emergency contraceptive pill brand, from a different manufacturer.
Plan B -- 2 pills (0.75 mg levonorgestrel/pill); take both pills at the same time as soon as possible after unprotected intercourse, up to 120 hours. **Plan B had been discontinued.**
Next Choice™ [Plan B generic version] -- 2 pills (0.75 mg levonorgestrel/pill); take both pills at the same time as soon as possible after unprotected intercourse, up to 120 hours.
Plan B® One-Step/i-Pill -- 1 pill (1.5 mg levonorgestrel); take the pill as soon as possible after unprotected intercourse, up to 120 hours.
Oh, and in case you forgot:
Although ACOG is encouraged by recent FDA actions, it reiterates its long-held position that there is no valid scientific or medical reason to impose an age restriction on the availability of EC because it is safe and effective for adolescents and women of all ages. ACOG again urges the FDA to withdraw the age restriction altogether and eliminate the behind-the-counter status for EC.
All material, including outside links, is informational. It is not medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment, and it is not intended to replace the advice of your personal health care professional.
, the 1 pill emergency contraceptive brand, on Amazon. The current price is $46.90 and this might be the reason why:
brand on Amazon.
and 
. (Note the difference between Next Choice -- two-pill brand -- and Next Choice One Dose -- one-pill brand.)
(outside the US) are the equivalent of Plan B -- 2 pill levonorgestrel (LNG), a progestin, dose brands available without a prescription and on Amazon. Take both pills at the same time (disregard label instructions), as soon as possible after the act of unprotected intercourse, up to 120 hrs/5 days. The sooner you use it, the more effective it is.
, 
/
, and Postinor 1/Postinor2 Unidosis are 1 pill LNG dose brands also available without a prescription and on Amazon (Plan B One-Step and i-Pill/Nextime). The instructions for use are the same as for the 2 pill dose brands -- take the pill as soon as possible, up to 120 hrs/5 days. The sooner you use it, the better.
, 
is also available on Amazon for $52.75. 
for only $19.98 on Amazon the cost of a safe afterglow has become a bit more affordable. So, no more excuses, if you plan to have sex go forth and buy the emergency contraceptive pill first.
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