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By Christyn Allen
ERIE, Pa. (Erie News Now) – Amazon and Rite Aid are two retailers now limiting the purchase of emergency contraceptive pills, like Plan B and Aftera.
After Roe V. Wade was overturned, people across the country began stocking up on the over-the-counter medication. “There currently is a nationwide shortage of an emergency contraception over the counter,” said Dr. Adarsh Krishen, of the Cleveland Clinic.
Planned Parenthood of Greater Ohio addressed the topic in their press briefing on Friday, saying people should stock up on the pill before states begin to regulate its production.
“The companies that make it are working actively and aggressively to increase production, but that’s currently one of the added challenges for people who use emergency contraception,” said Dr. Krishen.
At Darling’s Pharmacy in East Erie, they’re already seeing the effects of people across the nation stocking up. “Right now, Plan B, the brand name, is unavailable. There’s not any to order from our warehouse. There is a couple of generics available, so we’re going to be ramping up the stock on those,” said Ciarra Bodnar, Pharmacist at Darling’s Pharmacy in East Erie.
Right now, there’s no timeline for when the name-brand pill will be available for order again. “Usually when it happens it’s a couple of weeks to a couple of months, but we’re definitely going to have the generic in stock that works the exact same way,” said Bodnar.
If you wish to be on birth control, Darling’s recommends a regular birth control regimen, instead of relying solely on emergency contraceptives.
They say there are myths surrounding emergency contraceptives. It is not an abortion pill, but rather a backup, if your birth control fails.
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