Policy makes Plan B more accessible to American Indian women
The federal Indian Health Service has finalized a policy that makes emergency contraception more accessible to American Indian women.
The written policy released this week requires the morning-after pill to be available to women of any age over the counter at IHS facilities, no questions asked.
Previously, American Indian women had to consult with a provider and get a prescription for the medication that was dispensed on site.
Women's health advocates have said the process was time-consuming and burdensome.
The medication was made available to women 17 years and older at IHS pharmacies under a verbal directive in 2013.
Health advocates pushed IHS for a written policy in line with a 2013 U.S. Food and Drug Administration decision to lift age limits and make it available without a prescription.
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