Plan B - This is NOT a "win."

Plan B has been approved, and the right-to-lifers are screaming bloody murder and threatening to sue, but they aren't the ones who lost. We are. We, in this case, means anyone who has an interest in good healthcare. We, in this case, means anyone who thinks that politics should not be involved in the approval of medications in this country. We, in this case, means anyone who believes that someone else's faith does not belong in their bedroom or body. We, in this case, means everyone who isn't part of the reactionary Christianist wing of the Republican Party. We all lost. They are crying because they didn't get everything that they wanted, but they have taken from the rest of us far, far more than they had any right to.

Let's be clear on what has happened here. Yes, the FDA has concluded - finally - that Plan B can be administered to those who are 18 years and older. This decision, however, leaves intact damn near all of the politically-motivated meddling in the approval process. As I have discussed before, the decision to place any age restriction on the over-the-counter status of the drug whatsoever took place despite the recommendation of the overwhelming majority of the scientific review panel. The putative "scientific" grounds for this decision were described as "unprecedented" by an independent Government Accountability Office review of the process. That same review found significant evidence that there was massive political involvement in the process, and that many FDA staffers were led to believe that the decision not to approve the initial application had been made before any scientific review took place.

After the initial decision was made to place an age restriction on over-the-counter sales was made, the purchasing age was increased twice. First, the FDA expressed willingness to consider permitting sales to those under 16. Then they decided that 17 was a more appropriate age. Finally, they decided that although the scientific evidence indicated that sales to 17 year olds were medically safe, the drug should not be sold to those under 18 for "regulatory reasons." (More on that is coming shortly.)

The drug will also be available only at pharmacies and clinics. It will not be available at supermarkets, convenience stores, or anywhere else. This raises even more concerns. There have been many reports of pharmacists refusing to fill prescriptions for this medicine because it conflicts with their religious beliefs. Are they also going to be allowed to refuse to ring up the sale or hand the package across the counter? I see little reason to believe that this decision will significantly improve access to the drug for most people.

American citizens have the right to expect that medicines will be regulated to ensure that they are both safe and effective. We also have the right to expect that they will be regulated only for that reason. With the decision as it now stands, we are being deprived of that right. American citizens have the right to expect that partisan politics will not be allowed to interfere with medical decision making. As the decision now stands, we are being deprived of that right.

We need to be clear on what just happened to us. We got screwed. It is true that things could potentially have been slightly worse - they could have screwed us with our pants on - but we've been screwed just the same.