Washington D.C., Jul 28, 2004 / 22:00 pm
The American Medical Association's request to make the morning-after pill available over-the-counter is "sad" and "appalling," says Gail Quinn, Executive director of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops' Secretariat for Pro-Life Activities.
The medical association joined abortion advocates yesterday in a campaign to make morning-after pills available over-the-counter so that young women and girls will be able to obtain these drugs, "whether or not they 'need' them, whether or not they might be contraindicated, … without even a doctor's oversight," says Quinn.
The Federal Drug Administration decided last month to reject the request on scientific grounds - there was no evidence that the drug did not have adverse effects on teenage girls.
The drug's manufacturer, Barr Laboratories, admitted to the FDA that there are no studies of the drug's effect on adolescents and no data indicating that it is safe effective and usable across age groups.
"That a highly regarded medical association such as the AMA would attack the FDA for fulfilling its mandate - to put health interests over commercial interests - is as sad as it is appalling," said Quinn.
Barr is estimated to make $25-$100 million on the drug.