Still, the FDA decision moving the pill from behind the counter to drugstore shelves reflected a societal shift in the long battle over women's reproductive rights, marking a major milestone for those who believe all forms of birth control should be easy to buy.
The FDA's considering approving such a pill for over-the-counter use, but these kinds of pills have come and gone before.
Many other countries have made the pill available over-the-counter, and in June the FDA will consider making it available in the U.S. without prescription.
The major antihistamines in pill form are now sold over the counter -- Allegra, Claritin and Zyrtec -- but they help only with sneezing, unless specified as the "decongestant" form.
If the government fails, it would clear the way for over-the-counter sales of the morning-after pill to younger girls.
The FDA was preparing in 2011 to allow over-the-counter sale of the morning-after pill with no agency limits when Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius overruled her own scientists in an unprecedented move.
America is very much of a pill oriented society with the use of over-the-counter medication on the rise.
To counter the uninvited overture, Overland implemented a poison-pill plan a week after Advanced Digital's announcement.
Claritin, an allergy pill that was once a blockbuster, is now an over-the-counter medicine that could soon face even more generic competitors.
The Wyeth move could be bad news not only for over-the-counter Claritin, but also for Clarinex, Schering's current prescription allergy pill.
If Friday's order stands, stores that choose to sell the pill could place it on their regular aisles instead of keeping the drug behind the pharmacy counter.
WSJ: Judge Eases Restrictions on Plan B Emergency Contraceptive
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