Canadian government to make morning-after pill more readily available

Published: 2004-05-19

OTTAWA (CNS) -- The federal government is going ahead with plans to make the "morning-after pill" available without prescription across Canada, despite an appeal by the Catholic Organization for Life and Family. Health Minister Pierre Pettigrew announced May 18 that Health Canada is moving forward to allow the pill without a doctor's prescription throughout Canada. Currently, the pill is available without prescription in British Columbia, Quebec and Saskatchewan. "Women facing an emergency need timely access to this type of therapy," Pettigrew said. "Making the drug available in pharmacies without a prescription will help women to prevent unwanted pregnancies." Known as Plan B, the morning-after pill is actually two sets of two pills. The first set must be taken within 72 hours of unprotected intercourse. The second set is taken 12 hours later. Depending on what stage a woman is in her menstrual cycle, the pills can prevent the embryo's implantation in the uterus or prevent the egg from being fertilized.

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