Should the pill be available without a prescription?

<p>Doctors have argued since 1968 that the pill can safely be sold over-the-counter. That means rather than go to a doctor or clinic for a prescription, a woman could go to a drug store to pick up a pack of pills in the same way she can now buy aspirin. Behind-the-counter means a woman would ask a pharmacist for the pill, but she still wouldn't need a prescription from a doctor. Over 50 drugs that were once prescription-only are now OTC in the U.S., including Sudafed, Cortaid, Advil, Nyquil, Monistat, and Claritin.<br><br> Women in over 80 countries can already buy the pill without a prescription&mdash;including women just across the border in Mexico. As medications go, the pill is very safe&mdash;safer than having a baby, driving, smoking, or taking daily aspirin.<br><br> That said, the pill does have risks for women with certain medical conditions, but <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18757654">one study in El Paso</a> showed that women who answered 15 questions were pretty accurate in choosing whether the pill was safe for them.</p>