OCs OTC Working Group

Oral contraceptives (the pill) are one of the safest and best-studied medications on the market today, and they are also one of the most popular and effective birth control methods available worldwide. Yet in most countries, including the United States, women need a prescription in order to obtain them—and this can be a barrier for some women, particularly those without easy access to a doctor.

The Oral Contraceptives (OCs) Over-the-Counter (OTC) Working Group is a coalition of reproductive health rights and justice organizations, nonprofit research and advocacy groups, university-based researchers, and prominent clinicians who share a commitment to providing all women of reproductive age easier access to safe, effective, acceptable, and affordable contraceptives.  The working group was established in 2004 to explore the potential of over-the-counter access to oral contraceptives to reduce disparities in reproductive health care access and outcomes, and to increase opportunities for women to access a safe, effective method of contraception, free of unnecessary control, as part of a healthy sexual and reproductive life.