Emergency contraception will soon be available to women across Nova Scotia following Health Canada's recommendation for the removal of the PlanBŪ contraceptive pill from Schedule F which is the official listing of prescription drugs approved for use in Canada.

Plan BŪ will be re-classified as a BTC medication and will be kept behind the counter of pharmacies. Women will not be required to have a physician's prescription to receive the emergency contraception. Behind-The-Counter status however requires that pharmacists offer educational information and/or guidance at the point of sale which will ensure that all patients continue to receive the benefit of professional advice on all aspects of the medication.

The Levonogestrel website explains that (Plan BŪ) is an emergency contraceptive that can be used to prevent pregnancy following unprotected intercourse or a known or suspected contraceptive failure (i.e., a broken condom). To obtain optimal efficacy, the first tablet should be taken as soon as possible within 72 hours of intercourse. The second tablet must be taken 12 hours later.

If taken within 72 hours of unprotected intercourse, Plan BŪ can, when used correctly, reduce the risk of pregnancy by 89 % after a single act of unprotected sex. Effectiveness declines however as the interval between intercourse and the start of treatment increases.

Some opponents of emergency contraception believe that Plan BŪ acts in the same way as RU486 which is a medication that causes pregnancy to end prematurely and causes an abortion (an abortifacient). This is not the case with PlanBŪ - it is not an abortifacient. It is an emergency contraceptive and is not effective if a woman is pregnant.