Beginning next semester, female students wishing to take Plan B, an emergency contraceptive commonly known as the morning after pill, will no longer need a prescription.

Starting Jan. 1, the University Health Services Pharmacy in the Ritenour Building will sell Plan B over the counter. Currently, the pharmacy distributes Plan B by prescription only, like all other pharmacies.

Plan B will be kept behind the pharmacy's counters and will only be sold to students who are 18 and older, JoAnna Moyer, a nurse practitioner for Women's Health Services, said.

On Aug. 24, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved selling Plan B over the counter if the consumer is 18 or older with proof of age.

Since its introduction, Plan B has been available by prescription only because the company that produces it wanted it to be sold to those age 16 and older, Kathleen Quinn, FDA spokeswoman said.

"We told the company we would work with them, and we approved the proposal for 18 and older," she added.

Moyer said she thinks it is a great stride for women's health.

"I'm thrilled it will be more readily available," she said. "It is very embarrassing to tell another person what happened to obtain a prescription in order to get Plan B."

However, she encourages females to continue to see a doctor and obtain a prescription before buying Plan B.

"Selling Plan B over the counter is not an excuse to have unprotected sex," she said.

Plan B is not as effective as other ongoing contraceptive methods such as the pill, patch or ring, she added.

"Students who use Plan B on a regular basis need to reassess if they should be on something more permanent," she said.

Plan B can throw off normal menstruation cycles and cause nausea, she said.

Doctors at Women's Health Services like to write prescriptions in anticipatory action, allowing females to have it on hand in case of an

emergency, she said.

Although Plan B can be taken up to five days after the day of unprotected intercourse, the sooner it is taken the more effective it will be, she said.

Sarah Jane Jaffe (senior-advertising) agreed with Moyer.

"It is a great resource for girls who are embarrassed to say why they need Plan B," Jaffe said. "Now they can buy it before and avoid retelling the situation to someone else."

However, other students believe selling Plan B as an over-the-counter drug is not a responsible choice.

"If students have to get a prescription, then they might think twice before making a bad decision," Caren Dombkiewicz (freshman-business) said. "It's too big of a deal to just go to a drug store to pick up."

"It is easier not to take responsibility for your actions," Laura Seipt (junior-math education) said. "Going to a doctor to get it shows greater responsibility."

Barr Pharmaceuticals, distributor of Plan B, will employ secret shoppers to ensure pharmacies are the only companies selling the drug and all pharmacies are complying with proof of age 18, Quinn said.

The current cost of Plan B is $17, but the price is expected to increase when sold over the counter, Moyer said. It will not be sold over the counter until next year because the company has to repackage the drug with different safety warnings for over-the-counter consumers, she said.