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FDA approves first nonprescription daily oral contraceptive

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Re: FDA approves first nonprescription daily oral contraceptive

#201

Post by parineum »

crote wrote: post #150
hattmall wrote: post #102

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The contingent of people who want abortion restrictions and those who want to ban daily preventative contraception is incredibly minimal. There is no serious mainstream movement whatsoever to ban this type of medicine. This type of hyperbolic proselytizing has no place in reasoned discussion.

Is the Catholic Church mainstream enough for you? They consider all forms of contraception intrinsically evil. The US is already seeing attempts to pass laws banning Plan B or IUDs, it is not too much of a stretch to think hormonal birth control is at risk too.

The Catholic Church might consider it a sin but that doesn't correlate with American Catholics wanting to ban contraceptives. I'd wager most American Catholics don't agree and then even more don't care about it's legality.

The Catholic Church also considers adultery a sin but that doesn't mean Catholics want adulterers executed.

Re: FDA approves first nonprescription daily oral contraceptive

#202

Post by tracker1 »

cudgy wrote: post #153
SantalBlush wrote: post #126

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This goes for other things on HN, too. If the topic doesn't involve programming, it's mostly just uninformed people talking shit.

Because, naturally, humans can only be informed about a single topic: their career. Therefore, programmers are only capable of being knowledgeable about programming. And doctors are only capable of being knowledgable about medicine. And plumbers are only informed about plumbing topics. Really?

Thanks for this... It's kind of funny considering I've probably done as much reading on nutrition science the past 5-7 years as I have programming (almost 30 years into this career). Mostly in that there's been so much mis/disinformation regarding food and nutrition over the past couple centuries, and I have a lot of health issues as a result.

I bring the above up, because even a lot of doctors are ill informed. Not to mention nutritionists that are institutionally trained in dogma first, for licensure. Australia is over a decade ahead of the US at this point, and EU is about half that ahead. US nutrition is too entwined with industrial agriculture.

On TFA, I don't have too much opinion on the specifics. Other than gatekeepers gonna keep gates. It's as likely big pharma ran the numbers that they'd make more with this medication being OTC today, where a few years ago it was better gatekept. And they just, finally, pushed for OTC from the FDA. That mostly comes from my general opinions around the incestuous relationship of the FDA and private industry (similar to USDA).

Re: FDA approves first nonprescription daily oral contraceptive

#203

Post by CydeWeys »

hombre_fatal wrote: post #131
giantg2 wrote: post #125

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Even OTC amphetamines have purchased limits, some imposed by law depending on the state.

I guess you're suggesting that they rejected my prescription because of supply issues, they openly said it was because it was suspicious (3-mo in cash), and also Vyvanse hasn't had shortages like generic amphetamine in 2022-2023. Also, I think you mean OTC amphetamine alternatives since amphetamine is sched I.

These pharmacists have very real personal liability if they end up getting fingered as being a supplier of components used to make illegal drugs. That's why they look askance at this prescription.

Re: FDA approves first nonprescription daily oral contraceptive

#204

Post by pyuser583 »

candiddevmike wrote: post #12
lalaithion wrote: post #8

This is amazing, it will help a lot of people have access to a drug that can vastly improve quality of life without being gatekept by their doctor. Just one note about the phrasing of all the headlines: they’re phrased as if the FDA did a good thing, but it’s better to imagine this as the FDA _stopping_ doing a bad thing. The only reason that we haven’t had over the counter oral contraceptive for the last fifty years…

There's a bit more nuance here. There is certainly a political angle, but there is a non zero risk with taking something like this that should be discussed with a doctor first, IMO. Bypassing a doctor does open up access, but there may be risks, especially if folks don't take the medicine correctly.

We saw this with Theranos. They lobbied really hard to stop doctors from being gatekeepers to blood tests.

Re: FDA approves first nonprescription daily oral contraceptive

#205

Post by ModernMech »

mustacheemperor wrote: post #74
elijaht wrote: post #51

Earlier quoted context omitted.

A lot of that ends up being bureaucratic wastes of time though. My partner was on birth control for years and had to jump through so many hoops - Had to go to yearly appointments to continue receiving it - Could not pick up more than a month at a time, which created logistical issues since they HAD to take it daily - Had to get the prescription renewed every three months or so, which often led to delays filling it It…

You are the first commenter to relate anything like even a secondhand real life experience with oral birth control. This thread (edit: at the time I am posting this) is full of men with little real knowledge of this drug insisting on why it’s reasonable it took 50 years for this to be available OTC. I don’t think the contents of their explanations are likely to be accurate, but I think they still explain why it took…

Your comment is at the top of the thread, so thank you for pointing this out before I waded further into the comment section. I'm sure you saved me some grief.

Re: FDA approves first nonprescription daily oral contraceptive

#206

Post by k8si »

giantg2 wrote: post #24
lalaithion wrote: post #8

This is amazing, it will help a lot of people have access to a drug that can vastly improve quality of life without being gatekept by their doctor. Just one note about the phrasing of all the headlines: they’re phrased as if the FDA did a good thing, but it’s better to imagine this as the FDA _stopping_ doing a bad thing. The only reason that we haven’t had over the counter oral contraceptive for the last fifty years…

Was there really any gatekeeping going on for this in the first place? Seems more like just about everyone who asks recieves it.

You are a teenager who needs oral contraceptives because you are sexually active. You don't want your parents to find out. Since you're a teenager, you have a few constraints:

- you have no car, how do you get to your doctor's appointment without asking parents for a ride?

- you are a minor, do you have any guarantee that your doctor won't tell your parents? You can't risk them finding out, they are very conservative

- you may not have ever made a doctor appointment for yourself before, maybe don't have access to insurance information etc

Planned Parenthood provides BCPs at a price you can afford with your teenager job (also guarantees privacy) but the closest one is hours away...

What do you do?

Re: FDA approves first nonprescription daily oral contraceptive

#207

Post by tracker1 »

SantalBlush wrote: post #195
cudgy wrote: post #153

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Because, naturally, humans can only be informed about a single topic: their career. Therefore, programmers are only capable of being knowledgeable about programming. And doctors are only capable of being knowledgable about medicine. And plumbers are only informed about plumbing topics. Really?

You're misunderstanding. It's not that they can't know things outside of programming (which is your strawman), it's that they usually don't make the real effort to learn, and think reading a few blog articles makes them knowledgeable about a subject.

At what point does one cross this arbitrary barrier to being proficiently knowledgable in a subject outside their profession?

I'm a self taught developer with nearly three decades of experience, still spending 10+ hours a week expanding my craft (reading/experimenting). But in the past 5-7 years have spent twice that time on food and nutrition science study. Part of that understanding research quality, not just quantity, and the value of different types of testing vs study.

Re: FDA approves first nonprescription daily oral contraceptive

#208

Post by singlow »

willcipriano wrote: post #6

> The contraceptive efficacy of norgestrel was established with the original approval for prescription use in 1973. HRA Pharma applied to switch norgestrel from a prescription to an over-the-counter product. For approval of a product for use in the nonprescription setting, the FDA requires that the applicant demonstrate that the product can be used by consumers safely and effectively, relying only on the nonprescript…

It could also be that public familiarity with medication procedures and language has changed over time allowing the FDA to believe that this can be used safely now, whereas the same instructions would not have been as effective 20 years ago?

Re: FDA approves first nonprescription daily oral contraceptive

#209

Post by travisjungroth »

giantg2 wrote: post #118
0cf8612b2e1e wrote: post #70

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That women find getting birth control a hassle? Ask anyone.

No, that the prescription process is providing more harm than good.

Having a doctor rubber stamp a prescription does more harm than good. If the argument is that getting a prescription is such a simple task it should cost almost nothing and be done instantly, then it likely doesn’t need to exist as a barrier at all.
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