Barr readies for Plan B fight in U.S. states

By Susan Heavey and Lisa Richwine

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Barr Pharmaceuticals Inc. (BRL.N: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz), fresh from winning a three-year fight with the federal government for nonprescription sales of its "morning-after" pill, is preparing to battle possible state efforts to limit access to the emergency contraceptive.

As the Plan B pills in new nonprescription packaging heads to U.S. stores this week, Barr is mobilizing lobbyists to combat any state-based attempts to restrict sales, Chief Executive Bruce Downey said on Tuesday.

"There may be interest groups that try to get states to pass laws ... We anticipated that, and we're ready to deal with it," Downey said at the Reuters Health Summit in New York.

Plan B is a set of two pills that can prevent pregnancy if taken within 72 hours of sex. It has been sold by prescription since 1999.

In August, the Food and Drug Administration ruled Plan B could be sold without a prescription to adults who show proof of age to a pharmacist. Girls under 18 still need a doctor's order to buy the product.

The FDA decision followed three years of review amid intense lobbying by women's and physician groups that backed wider access as well as conservative opponents who warned it would promote teen sex.

Now, supporters fear some states may try to undo the FDA decision. Bills had been introduced in Missouri and Michigan before the FDA ruling to keep the prescription requirement for all ages.

Women's groups say those measures could resurface when state legislatures go back to work next year. Bills that allow pharmacists to refuse to dispense Plan B or other contraceptives on religious or moral grounds also are likely to be debated. Four states have written that right into law. One state, Illinois, requires pharmacies that stock contraceptives to dispense emergency contraception pills.  Continued...