Tuesday, May 18, 2004

From the New York Times:
Morning-After Pill in Canada: Prescription May Not Be Needed
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.

From CTV.ca:
Ottawa to make morning-after-pill more accessible
Health Canada is moving ahead with plans to make the morning-after-pill available without a prescription, but it may still require consultation with a pharmacist before purchase.

By doing so, women would get more timely access to emergency contraceptives, Health Minister Pierre Pettigrew said in a statement.

"Making the drug available in pharmacies without a prescription will help women to prevent unwanted pregnancies," he said.

From the Seattle Times:
Canadian clinics cutting off drugs for Americans
Canadian medical clinics are quietly informing American patients they will no longer help them obtain prescription drugs, after stern warnings from a major insurer that doctors who are sued by Americans won't be covered.

The move threatens to restrict access to cheaper drugs purchased by hundreds of thousands of Americans who visit Canadian clinics or buy online from Canadian pharmacies.

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