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Starting in 1999, getthepill.com has been offering prescriptions for
emergency contraceptive online.
Emergency contraceptives, commonly know as the morning after pill, are
used for prevention of pregnancy after unprotected intercourse.
There is a choice between the three brands, Plan B, Ovral, and Prevan,
which are approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
Getthepill.com provides quick, easy and anonymous access to emergency
contraceptives.
According to the Web site, the client completes a survey that is reviewed
by a licensed physician.
The doctor then decides whether or not the client is an appropriate candidate
for this medication.
If the client is approved, the prescription is called into the pharmacy
of the clients' choice.
This process may not be as simple as it sounds.
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Some pharmacies, such as Wal-Mart's, refuse to stock emergency contraceptives.
Bill Wertz, public relations representative for Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.,
said, "This is a business decision, not a moral one."
But when asked if there are any other medications that Wal-Mart refuses
to stock he said "I don't know."
Joseph Feldman, the program manager for counseling and surgical services
for Planned Parenthood of Northern and Central Arizona, commented that
he knows why particular pharmacies will not fill a prescription for contraceptives
such as the morning after pill.
"They believe it is a violation of moral standards. But this is not
a medical opinion, it's a moral thing."
Although some organizations may not support the access to contraceptives,
other organizations are interested in promoting contraceptive awareness.
Some organizations, such as the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU),
are involved in a campaign to inform women of the benefits of the morning
after pill.
It is an annual campaign called "Back up your birth control day"
held on March 20.
According to the ACLU Web site, some hospitals in the nation do not offer
emergency contraceptives to women, including rape victims.
Because of this, many organizations recommend having emergency contraceptives
on hand, "just in case."
Debbie Mayer from Planned Parenthood of Northern and Central Arizona said,
"We would love for every woman to have them [emergency contraceptives]
in her medicine cabinet."
Planned Parenthood considers emergency contraceptives safe enough to prescribe
without an examination.
Although it is safe, it is not a very cost effective method of birth control.
The client must pay the normal prescription price as well as a $24.95
fee for ordering the drug from the internet.
Although many women are choosing getthepill.com as an alternative to seeing
a physician, consumers should be warned about the dangers of accessing
prescriptions via the internet.
Richard Corlin, President of the American Medical Association, says on
the AMA Web site that "the problem with online prescribing lies with
what is missing: no serious history-taking, no medical exam to guide a
proper diagnosis, no counseling, no monitoring or assessment of a treatment
and no semblance of a true patient-physician relationship."
The FDA's Web site warns that "getting a prescription drug by filling
out a questionnaire without seeing a doctor poses serious health risks."
The FDA recommends always consulting a health care professional before
using any medication for the first time.
Getthepill.com also issues cautions concerning the use of the morning
after pill.
Some possible side effects include nausea and cramping.
They also warn that the pill becomes less effective as more time passes,
within 72 hours, after unprotected sexual intercourse.
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