Emergency contraceptive pills: what does the law say about prescribing, dispensing, repackaging, and advertising?

Despite the proven safety and efficacy of providing concentrated doses of oral contraceptive pills as postcoital contraception, many physicians and health care providers are unclear as to this "off-label" use and thus remain reluctant to dispense it. It is critical that health care providers learn about both the medical and legal aspects of providing emergency contraception so that they can make this important method of pregnancy prevention available to their patients. While a dedicated product may soon gain US Food and Drug Administration approval and go on the market, it is still important for health care providers to be aware of the legal issues surrounding the various aspects of both on- and off-label provision of emergency contraceptive pills. This paper provides an overview of the legal issues involved and suggests that there are a number of ways that health care providers can make emergency contraceptive pills available and readily accessible to patients with no serious legal risk.