Availability and Cost of Morning after Pills

If you are over 17 years of age, you can buy emergency contraceptive pills from a pharmacist without any prescription. This is also known as buying it "over-the-counter". Patients under 17, require a prescription to buy morning after pills except in the states of California, Arkansas, Hawaii, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Vermont, New Mexico and Washington.

In Washington, the pharmacist can provide you with a prescription at the pharmacy itself. Thus, you don't have to see a doctor. Before you step out to buy the pill for yourself, call up the pharmacy to make sure whether the pharmacist on duty can give out emergency contraceptive pills or not and whether he has them in stock.

Four states in the country namely, Arkansas, South Dakota, Georgia and Mississippi give pharmacists the choice of stocking emergency contraceptives.

The morning after pill price varies as per the region and pharmacy. Typically, they cost around $10 to $70 for people not covered by any health insurance. For those, who are covered by a health insurance, the price is between $10 and $30.

Over 25 states in America demand health insurance plans that include prescription drugs involved in birth control and emergency contraception.

A visit to a doctor to get a prescription can cost anywhere between $35 and $250. If you are under 17 years of age, you can reduce the cost associated with buying a morning after pill by asking for a prescription in advance the next time you visit your physician.

Ask your physician not to put a date on it and since the prescriptions are valid for a year. You can fill in the date yourself when you need emergency contraception. This allows you to avoid special visits to the physician to get a prescription for emergency contraception and lets you use the pills as soon as possible.

Family planning clinics such as Planned Parenthood use a sliding scale to determine the cost of their services. So in case you are uninsured or have a low income, you can get emergency contraceptive pills at a reduced rate or even free of cost.

Over-the-counter availability of morning after pills was sought on the assumption that easy and wider availability of emergency birth control pills would lead to a drastic decrease in the rates of unplanned pregnancies and abortions.

However, critics of this over-the-counter availability argue that, this will lead to an increase in promiscuous behavior and unsafe sex. They also fear that this will lead to an increase in the number of cases of sexual violence.