Clinics have sold 10,000 Plan B

Planned Parenthood clinics in Southern Nevada have sold more than 10,000 packets of Plan B, the emergency contraceptive commonly known as the morning after pill, since it was made available for purchase last year.

And although it's hard to gauge whether that indicates a high demand for the two-pill packets priced at $30 to $40, officials said they did anticipate there would be interest in the product.

"We're not concerned about the number," said Annette Magnus, spokeswoman for Planned Parenthood of Southern Nevada. "Our position is, we are decreasing the rate of unintended pregnancies. That is the whole purpose of it. This is preventing lots of abortions.''

The agency has tracked the amount of Plan B it has distributed since June 2006. The federal government approved it for over-the-counter sale in August 2006. Most pharmacies carry the emergency contraceptive as well.

Plan B is a form of emergency birth control used to prevent a woman from becoming pregnant after she has had unprotected intercourse.

The first pill must be taken within 72 hours of unprotected sex and reduces the risk of pregnancy by up to 89 percent. The second pill must be taken 12 hours later.

Under federal guidelines, Plan B is available to women and men 18 and older. Teens 17 and under need a prescription from a physician.

Federal law says pharmacists also have the option to refuse to sell Plan B to a customer, which remains a concern of Planned Parenthood, Magnus said.

People inquiring about the drug have encountered pharmacists who tell them they don't have Plan B in stock or that they aren't carrying it "right now,'' she said.

"We're also finding that it is becoming increasingly difficult for our clients who are under the prescription requirement (age),'' said Magnus. "These are teens going in and asking for it and are not able to access it because they do not have a prescription from a doctor. We're trying to overcome this.''

Planned Parenthood clinics do prescribe Plan B to teens under 18, but they must undergo an exam by a physician.

Louis Ling, attorney for the Nevada State Pharmacy Board, said the agency hasn't received any complaints from the general public regarding pharmacists refusing to sell Plan B. He said the most common questions regarding the drug are about the "basic terms" of the law.

"We often tell pharmacists the rules, that they can only dispense it to someone who is over age 18 and it doesn't matter if the person is male or female,'' Ling said.

He said there have been some inquiries about what options pharmacists have if an adult male asks to purchase the drug and they notice he is with an underage female.

"They want to know, 'Do I have the obligation to report that?' '' Ling said. "There is nothing in the law that explains that.''

According to the FDA, Plan B acts primarily by stopping the release of an egg from the ovary during ovulation. It also might prevent the union of sperm and egg.

If fertilization has already occurred, Plan B may prevent a fertilized egg from attaching to the womb.

However, if a fertilized egg is implanted prior to taking the drug, Plan B will not work.