birth control pills

Out-Of-Order Birth Control Pills Not Great At Preventing Pregnancy, Prompt Recall

Out-Of-Order Birth Control Pills Not Great At Preventing Pregnancy, Prompt Recall

As anyone who’s ever used an oral contraceptive knows, it’s important to take the pills in the right order, because each dose is different: Some pills contain hormones and some are inert and don’t do anything. Mixing those up could mean the difference between remaining unpregnant and getting pregnant. To prevent the latter, the maker of one birth control product is recalling pills that are packaged incorrectly. [More]

(Nate Grigg)

CVS Collects Erroneous Birth Control Copays, Will Issue Refunds

Pharmacy chain CVS charged about 11,000 customers who have health insurance small copays when they picked up some recent prescriptions. What’s wrong with that? Those prescriptions were for generic contraceptive pills, which should be dispensed with no copay at all under the federal Affordable Care Act. Now those customers are due a refund. [More]

Introvale Birth Control Pills Recalled For Shuffled Pill Order

Introvale Birth Control Pills Recalled For Shuffled Pill Order

The short description on the Food & Drug Administration website says that the contraceptive pill Introvale is being recalled due to a “packaging flaw.” Well, that’s true, but that flaw is that the pills are in the wrong order. A three-month pack contains 84 “active” pills and seven placebo or “hey, it’s time for your period” pills. Some packs have the placebo pills in week 9 instead of week 13. Manufacturer Sandoz is recalling the affected lots, but since the pills are different colors, it’s not hard to tell whether your pills have been scrambled. [More]

Arizona Bill Would Allow Employers To Ask Why You're On The Pill

Arizona Bill Would Allow Employers To Ask Why You're On The Pill

Does it matter why you’re on the pill? An Arizona Senate committee seems to think so, as they’re endorsing a bill that would let employers ask their workers whether or not their prescription birth control pills are for medical, non-sexual reasons. [More]

Birth Control Pills Change Women's Brain Structure

Birth Control Pills Change Women's Brain Structure

A new study found that the brains of women on birth control have more matter in some parts of their brain, like the pre-frontal cortex. So is “the pill” also a smart pill? Not exactly. Researchers say the brain is like a “neural beehive” and messing with one part can mess with others. Or, as the study’s authors put it, one region being larger could actually mean it’s going “catawampus.” [More]