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NEW YORK — The Food and Drug Administration-approved label change clarifying Plan B One-Step’s mechanism of action was welcome news for the product and the emergency contraception category, says Tara Evans, marketing director for manufacturer Foundation Consumer Healthcare (FCH).
“FCH firmly believes that access to emergency contraception is critically important, and we continue to uphold our responsibility to equip people with the correct information about Plan B, including how it works and reinforcing that Plan B remains available in every state across the country, without restrictions,” says Evans.
The label change addresses the persistent misconception that Plan B works by interfering with implantation, a misapprehension that can present barriers to broader emergency contraception access. The labeling correction helps protect continued over-the-counter emergency contraception access and reduces confusion about how Plan B works, reinforcing awareness that it does not affect implantation.
“Unfortunately, and especially recently, there is still a lot of noise in general around the evolving reproductive health care landscape, and it continues to cause confusion for women seeking contraceptive options,” says Evans. Foundation recently completed on online survey of 1,201 women ages 18 to 34 across the U.S. and found that misperceptions abound. Of the women sampled, some 50% believe one needs to be a certain age to buy Plan B. About the same percentage believe the product can harm an existing pregnancy, and around one-third believe that Plan B works similarly to an abortion pill. About half also believe that the product is only effective if taken within 24 hours after sex.
“As such, we feel very strongly about our marketing platform, which is focused on education and access,” adds Evans. “We continue to prioritize messaging on these topics, so women know that Plan B is still legal, available over the counter, and does not require an ID to purchase at any retailer across the U.S. We also want to arm women with the facts that Plan B works only by delaying ovulation and that it will not impact future fertility.”
From a marketing standpoint, FCH continues to share these critical messages on its Plan B social channels; leverage trusted influencers and key opinion leaders in the space to help spread the word; and share fact-based educational materials with consumers and health care professionals, including pharmacists. The company also continues to advertise on tried-and-true platforms, as well as through new channels, like Out Of Home, in major cities.
Plan B was approved as a nonprescription product by the FDA in 2013. Its proven safety and efficacy is supported by a large body of clinical studies and scientific literature.
Plan B is a backup emergency contraceptive pill to help prevent unintended pregnancy before it begins. It must be taken within 72 hours after unprotected sex or birth control failure. It is not an abortifacient. It will not affect a pregnancy that has already begun, and it will not impact a woman’s future fertility. There is no age requirement for purchase.
