I heart Vermont

Vermont teens will be able to get emergency contraception over-the-counter despite the FDA’s decision to only provide the drug to adults.

The FDA ruled on Thursday that Plan B, also known as "the morning-after pill," can be sold to women 18 and older without a prescription, but women 17 and younger must still get a doctor's prescription to get the drug.

Nancy Mosher, president and chief executive of Planned Parenthood of Northern New England, said Vermont legislation passed this year set up a third track for acquiring the drug, aside from getting a doctor's prescription or purchasing medicine over the counter.

The bill set up a "collaborative practice" process allowing pharmacists who receive special training to dispense Plan B to women without a prescription. Physicians would issue the pharmacists "standing orders" allowing them to dispense the medication to women who fill out a health screening questionnaire.

This means that that women in Vermont who are 18 or over can go with the FDA ruling allowing them to get EC over-the-counter, and women who are under 17 can just take advantage of this new law. So everybody wins.

And this is why I heart Vermont.