>>> ACCESS TO CONTRACEPTION IS ABOUT TO GET A MAJOR BOOST.

THE U.S. FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION FOR THE FIRST TIME HAS APPROVED AN OVER-THE-COUNTER BIRTH CONTROL PILL TO CRACK DOWN ON REPRODUCTIVE RIGHTS IN THE WAKE OF THE SUPREME COURT DECISION OVERTURNING ROE VERSUS WADE.

HOW ACCESSIBLE WILL THE BUILDING AND WILL IT BE AVAILABLE?

JOINING US WITH MORE OF THE DEVELOPMENT IS THE INTERIM CHAIR, OB/GYN DEPARTMENT, DOCTORS ON YOUR HYDER, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING US.

HOW SIGNIFICANT IS THE FDA APPROVAL, TODAY?

>> THIS IS AN INCREDIBLE MOMENT IN REGARDS TO HEALTHCARE IN THE UNITED STATES.

THIS IS THE VERY FIRST TIME A PILL OR ANY BIRTH CONTROL OPTION IS AVAILABLE OVER-THE-COUNTER IN OUR COUNTRY.

I WOULD SAY THIS IS A MOMENTOUS OCCASION.

WE ARE HOPEFULLY MOVING FORWARD TO MORE OPTIONS, MORE ACCESSIBLE TO OUR PATIENTS.

>> DO WE KNOW AS TO HOW MUCH THIS WILL COST OVER-THE-COUNTER ?

>> THAT IS A GOOD QUESTION.

I THINK WE DON'T KNOW THE EXACT COST YET.

THE COMPANY HAS SAID THEY ARE COMMITTED TO MAKING THIS AFFORDABLE AND A KEY PIECE ABOUT MAKING SOMETHING ACCESSIBLE AND REDUCING BARRIERS TO ACCESS IS REDUCING THE COST OF IT , LOW COST FOR OUR PATIENT SO WE ANTICIPATE THAT THE COMPANY WILL MAKE IT ACCESSIBLE .

>> YOU MENTIONED ACCESS BECAUSE OBVIOUSLY, WOMEN NOW NEED A PRESCRIPTION.

WHAT EXACTLY ARE THOSE BARRIERS AND HOW EXPENSIVE IT YOU DO NEED A PRESCRIPTION?

>> THE BARRIERS FOR SOME OF OUR PATIENTS, GETTING TO THE PHYSICIAN IS HARD TO NAVIGATE, FIGURING OUT WHERE TO GO, GETTING AN APPOINTMENT.

INSURANCE WILL OFTEN COVER AND CAUSE MAY NOT BE AN ISSUE WITH SOME INSURANCE, OTHERS AT A HIGHER COST .

I THINK ULTIMATELY, THE IMPORTANT THING TO NOTE IS MAKING MORE OPTIONS AVAILABLE AND MORE ACCESSIBLE TO PATIENTS WHICH REALLY OPENS UP THE OPPORTUNITY TO ACCESS MORE PATIENT.

>> ARE THERE MORE OPTIONS COMING DOWN THE PIPELINE?

DO YOU THINK THE FDA WILL CONSIDER?

>> I AM NOT AWARE OF ANY OTHER OVER-THE-COUNTER MEDICATIONS THAT ARE COMING OUT ANYTIME IN THE NEAR FUTURE.

I AM PERSON NOT AWARE OF THAT.

AND FOR DECADES , DATA HAS BEEN COLLECTED TO BE PRESENTED TO THE FDA SO GIVEN THE SYSTEMATIC AND LONG-TERM APPROACH IT TAKES TO GET A METHOD OVER-THE-COUNTER, I AM NOT AWARE THAT ANY ARE, CURRENTLY.

>> WE KNOW WHAT A LONG AND INTENSIVE PROCESS THAT IS SO WHAT ABOUT SAFETY MEASURES PEOPLE SHOULD KEEP IN MIND?

NOW, THEY DON'T HAVE TO GO TO A DOCTOR AND TALK ABOUT IT .

THEY CAN JUST WALK RIGHT INTO THE PHARMACY.

>> LIKE MANY OTHER MEDICATIONS THAT ARE NOW OVER-THE-COUNTER , THERE ARE THINGS LIKE GEOMETRY CASE AND OTHER MEDICATIONS OVER-THE-COUNTER.

THIS MEDICATION , DECADES OF RESEARCH HAS SHOWN THAT THIS HAS BEEN USED.

THERE ARE VERY FEW ALTERCATIONS.

AND ULTIMATELY, FROM PATIENTS SHOWED THAT THEY ARE ABLE TO CONTINUE MEDICATION FROM THE DATA .

AGAIN, MOST PATIENT GO WITH THE PROVIDERS THEY CHOOSE.

IT IS REALLY A PERSONAL CHOICE .

>> WE ARE LOOKING AT SOME OF THE SIDE EFFECTS THAT THE USDA HAS LISTED LIKE BLEEDING, CRAMPS AND THERE IS A RISK FOR FOLKS THAT PERHAPS ARE SUFFERING FROM BREAST CANCER OR WORRY ABOUT BREAST CANCER THAT IT SHOULD NOT BE TAKEN WITHOUT, CORRECT?

>> THAT IS CORRECT.

SIDE EFFECTS THAT YOU MENTIONED ARE VERY RARE WITH THIS METHOD AND OTHER BIRTH CONTROL PILLS, AS WELL.

AGAIN, THOSE ARE SIDE EFFECTS THAT ARE NOT PARTICULARLY HARD BUT CAN BE FRUSTRATING TO PATIENTS AND THEY CAN CONTINUE TO GO FORWARD AND ADDRESS THAT WITH HER HEALTH CARE PROVIDER IF THEY CHOOSE TO.

ANOTHER SCENARIO IS BREAST CANCER.

THE FDA'S RULING THAT THE VAST MAJORITY OF PATIENTS CAN VARY SAFELY AND WITH THE LABELING AROUND BREAST CANCER, THAT PATIENT SHOULD NOT BE PUT IN HARM.

>> VERY QUICKLY, WHEN DO YOU THINK THIS WILL BE AVAILABLE NOW THAT IT HAS GOTTEN APPROVAL TO BE OVER-THE-COUNTER?

>> IT SHOULD BE AVAILABLE BY