AMA recommends selling morning after pill over-the-counter

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) _ The American Medical Association asked the government Tuesday to consider making the morning after contraceptive available over-the-counter. <br><br>The AMA's policy-making House

Tuesday, December 5th 2000, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) _ The American Medical Association asked the government Tuesday to consider making the morning after contraceptive available over-the-counter.

The AMA's policy-making House of Delegates passed the recommendation without discussion during a convention in Orlando.

Taken within three days of sexual intercourse, the morning after pill prevents ovulation or, if it's already occurred, blocks implantation of a fertilized egg. A report by the AMA's Council on Medical Service suggests that women might not be able to get the pills in time to prevent a pregnancy unless they're made available over-the-counter.

An AMA committee debated the issue on Sunday and sent its recommendation to the full House of Delegates.

Some of those who testified Sunday said selling the pills over-the-counter would lead to lost opportunities to counsel patients on sexually transmitted diseases.

Though morning-after pills are not as widely opposed as the RU-486 prescription abortion pill approved by the FDA in September, foes consider them a form of abortion since an egg could have been fertilized by the time a woman takes them.

Planned Parenthood does not consider the method abortion since it does not work if a fertilized egg has already implanted itself in the uterus, the scientific definition of pregnancy, the group's president, Gloria Feldt, said.

There are two morning-after pills on the market: Preven and Plan B. They were approved for U.S. use within the past two years.

The pills are ``considered safe and effective by the medical community as a whole,'' the report said. It also stated that efforts are needed to improve awareness about their availability.

The issue of selling the morning-after pill over-the-counter was first brought before the AMA last year.