Chewable birth control pill ships to pharmacies

December 08, 2006|Associated Press

TRENTON, N.J. -- The first chewable birth-control method, a spearmint-flavored tablet that also can be swallowed without chewing, has hit pharmacy shelves.

Femcon Fe, which contains the same hormones as standard oral contraceptives, offers an option for women who don't like swallowing pills and want to take their birth control with them, according to Carl Reichel, president of drug maker Warner Chilcott of Rockaway, N.J.

Warner Chilcott, which makes prescription dermatology and women's health products, officially launched the product yesterday aimed at women who sometimes forget to take their pills.

"This isn't a great leap forward, but I think this is a helpful step," said Dr. Lee Shulman, chairman of the Association of Reproductive Health Professionals, and an obstetrician-gynecologist at Northwestern Memorial Hospital and a professor at Northwestern University.

"I think it is a better approach in the group of women who have a very high rate of unintended pregnancy, which is younger women," Shulman said.

According to a number of studies, one-third to nearly one-half of women on birth control pills miss one or two per month, increasing their chances of pregnancy. With perfect use of combination pills, containing both estrogen and progestin, 0.1 percent of users become pregnant each year, compared with the 3 to 8 percent rate studies have found with typical use.

The company says Femcon Fe is just as effective as standard pills.