The Plan B pill, is an over-the-counter emergency contraceptive pill, which isn’t to be confused with the abortion pill, aka mifepristone. According to a recent CNBC article, the FDA wants to make sure the public knows the difference. To do so, the agency is changing the informational packaging of Plan B One-Step. Plan B works by preventing or delaying an egg from releasing from the ovary to prevent conception. It is not effective if a woman is already pregnant, and essentially means it won’t affect an existing pregnancy the way the abortion pill will.
Until now, Plan B and its generic counterparts’ packaging has wrongly claimed the pill may be able to prevent a fertilized egg from implanting, but medical professionals say this isn’t backed by scientific evidence. That information was added to the label to achieve over-the-counter status for Plan B.
