THE PROVIDENCE JOURNAL: Plan A is to delay
13th Sep 2005, 03:48 GMT
(SH) - The protracted struggle over a type of emergency contraceptive deprived the nation of a valued public servant on Aug. 31. Outraged by the federal Food and Drug Administration's move to put off deciding whether the morning-after pill called Plan B should be available over the counter, Susan Wood resigned from her agency post. The highly regarded Wood directed the FDA's office of women's health. Wood rightly slammed the agency for politicizing a decision that should be based on science. Almost two years ago, an FDA advisory panel recommended allowing sales of the morning-after pill (essentially, a high dose of birth-control pills) without a prescription. FDA's regulatory staff and the head of its drug center have also endorsed the change, sought by Barr Pharmaceuticals.