Plan B hits campus

By Lindsey Underwood

Published Jan. 26, 2007

Student charge is now being accepted at the University Physicians Pharmacy for the emergency contraceptive Plan B, frequently known as the morning-after pill. The billing statement will show the purchase as simply an unspecified "pharmacy charge."

The Food and Drug Administration announced in August that the drug would be available without a prescription.

University Hospital and Clinics spokesman Jeff Hoelscher said the Student Health Center would not be involved in students' acquisition of the medicine.

"The distribution of this pill at the Student Health Center would be treated the same way as any other prescription," Hoelscher said. "The health center itself does not carry any pharmaceuticals. Students would need to go to a pharmacy to receive any medication."

If students wish to obtain the pill, the only place on campus it is available is at the University Physicians Pharmacy, where it can be purchased for $30.

A driver's license must to be presented to prove that the student is legally an adult, but the pill will be treated like any other over-the-counter medicine, making a doctor's note or prescription unnecessary.

For minors, a prescription is necessary for acquisition of the pill at any pharmacy.

Plan B works by preventing a fertilized egg from attaching to the wall of the uterus and needs to be taken within 72 hours of unprotected intercourse to have any affect.