Federal judge criticizes FDA regarding Plan B contraception decision

Judge Edward R. Korman said the Food and Drug Administration's efforts to delay his ruling regarding the so-called morning-after pill was "nonsense" and would hurt poor and minority women.

The New York Times' The Caucus: Judge Criticizes Obama Administration As It Appeals Contraception Decision
A federal judge on Tuesday angrily accused the Obama administration of hurting poor and minority women by seeking to restrict their access to morning-after contraceptive pills. Lawyers for the Justice Department appeared before Judge Edward R. Korman in an effort to delay his previous order that the drug be made available to girls of all ages without a prescription. The department announced last week that it planned to appeal the ruling (Shear, 5/7).

Reuters: Judge Criticizes FDA Move On Plan B, Agency Warns Of Precedent
A federal judge criticized the Food and Drug Administration over its refusal to make emergency contraception available to girls of all ages without a prescription, saying the agency's move to restrict distribution to consumers aged 15 and older was not realistic. U.S. District Judge Edward Korman on April 5 ordered the FDA to lift age restrictions on all levonorgestrel-based emergency contraception - also known as the "morning-after" pill or "Plan B" - to prevent unwanted pregnancies (Dye and Clarke, 5/7).

The Hill: Reports: Judge Hammers FDA Over 'Nonsense' Limits On Plan B
A federal judge slammed the Food and Drug Administration on Tuesday over its handling of the birth-control pill known as Plan B. Judge Edward Korman accused the FDA of putting politics above science and described its regulation of Plan B as "a lot of nonsense," according to media reports (Baker, 5/7).