The Food and Drug Administration recently approved over-the-counter access of Plan B, a contraceptive drug.

The drug, better known as the "morning-after pill," is now available to women 18 and over but is only available to girls 17 and under with a doctor's prescription.

The pill was developed by Duramed, a subsidiary of Barr Pharmaceuticals. It contains an ingredient that is used in prescription birth control pills but administers higher doses and has a different dosing regimen.

According to the FDA, Duramed is sponsoring the Convenient Access, Responsible Education Program. The program is designed to educate consumers and health care professionals about appropriate use of the drug.

The program will also ensure that it is being distributed through licensed retailers and that the right people are getting the medicine by requiring a photo ID to buy the medicine.

The Plan B drug has been approved by the FDA and, according to Walgreens, will be available in the over-the-counter packaging in two to three months.

The Aug. 24 approval from the FDA came after a meeting of two advisory committees where they discussed scientific and policy questions of changing Plan B from prescription to over the counter, such as the age requirement for OTC purchase of the drug.

The approval has raised other issues as well. According to Mark Johnson, associate professor of theology and associate director of the undergraduate program, the Vatican is against the morning-after pill.

"The Catholic Church is erring on the side of protection of life, rather than run the risk of destroying life," Johnson said. "It is considered abortion if the two cells have come together to form a zygote and it cannot implant in the uterus wall."

According to Johnson, the problem with Plan B is a depraved indifference to the chances of conception.

"Whether or not conception occurs, with Plan B, you are throwing that possibility to the wind," he said.

Another objection is the attitude that Plan B allows, Johnson said.

"People just want it to work," he said. "A girl goes to the store, takes a pill and the result is that there is no baby."

According to Kelda Helen Roys, executive director of NARAL Pro-Choice Wisconsin, the FDA made the right decision.

"Finally, the FDA put sound science before politics and made this safe, effective birth-control option more accessible to women," Roys said in a press release.

According to Wisconsin Attorney General Peg Lautenschlager, legal action was taken against the FDA because it refused to act due to politics instead of science.

"Although this matter was not taken up in a timely way by FDA, I am satisfied that the proper decision was made, based on scientific review, and Plan B emergency contraception will be available to women in Wisconsin," Lautenschlager said in a press release.

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