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New York Times, May 19, 2004 BYLINE: Clifford Krauss The government proposed on Tuesday to allow women to obtain the so-called morning-after birth control pill without a prescription at any pharmacy in Canada. The proposal needs to go through a review by Health Canada, the chief medical regulatory agency, but it is expected to meet final approval in the next few months. The move comes only weeks after the acting director of the Food and Drug Administration in the United States declined to allow the morning-after pill to be sold without a prescription. The latest divergence in American and Canadian social policy -- the two governments have also gone in different directions on drug enforcement and same-sex marriages -- is likely to result in many American women crossing the border to obtain the pills. ''Women facing an emergency need timely access to this type of therapy,'' Health Minister Pierre Pettigrew said in a statement. ''Making the drug available in pharmacies without a prescription will help women to prevent unwanted pregnancies.'' Women in Quebec, Saskatchewan and British Columbia can already buy the pill without a prescription simply by consulting a pharmacist. The proposed amendment to the Canadian Food and Drug Regulations would expand that availability across the country. It would be left to the provinces to decide at which age women could obtain the drug. Mr. Pettigrew said he was satisfied that women would still ''receive professional health advice'' before using the pills because they would be required to consult a pharmacist. He said the drug would be available ''behind the counter'' rather than ''over the counter.'' The morning-after pill contains a strong dose of the contraceptive levonorgestrel, which impedes ovulation. If taken within 72 hours of having sex, the pill can prevent a fertilized egg from being implanted. Mr. Pettigrew's announcement came only days before Prime Minister Paul Martin was expected to call a national election for late next month. Women's groups and birth control advocacy agencies applauded the announcement, but the conservative opposition criticized it. Rob Merrifield, a Conservative member of the House of Commons who specializes in health affairs, said the new policy could endanger public health. ''This drug is 50 times as potent as a birth control pill, and we're treating it like an aspirin,'' he said. He added that the announcement was totally politically motivated and intended to make the conservative opposition look extremist. ''They laid it out there knowing it's a volatile issue, and they wanted someone to fall into a trap and to say something controversial,'' he said. << New York Times – 05/19/04 >>
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