Barr Laboratories wants women 18 years and older to feel comfortable asking for levonorgestrel (Plan B) at the pharmacy counter. The company recently launched a business reply card (BRC) program to increase access to Plan B and to inform and educate women on how to receive the product.

The BRCs can be downloaded from Glamour's Web site www.GlamALERT.com and from Plan B's Web site www.go2PLANB.com. The BRC offers women a discreet way to receive Plan B, by handing the card directly to the pharmacy staff person, without having to ask for it out loud. The card includes important facts about emergency contraception and the need to bring government-issued proof of age. The card also outlines a number of scenarios that a woman can check off, such as wanting to purchase Plan B or talking with a pharmacist about Plan B privately.

The new initiative falls under the CARE (Convenient Access, Responsible Education) program. CARE provides information to pharmacists, physicians, other health care providers, and patients regarding the appropriate distribution, use, and monitoring of compliance with prescription age requirements for the contraceptive. Visit ePharmacy Times at www.pharmacytimes.com/planbcard for a related article.