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Consumers| Prescribers | Pharmacists
Plan B (LEVONORGESTREL) tablets 0.75mg emergency contraception
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Counseling Your Patients

As a pharmacist, you play an important role in patient education, and women may come to you for information on emergency contraception. The talking points below can help you anticipate and be ready to answer their questions.


Key Patient Messages

The talking points below may help you answer your patients' questions:

  • Because the unexpected can happen, emergency contraception (EC) is a safe and effective way that can prevent an unplanned pregnancy.

  • Plan B® is a backup, or emergency method of contraception and should not be used as a regular birth control method because it is not as effective. Taking Plan B® before a woman has unprotected intercourse will not protect her from getting pregnant.

  • Plan B® is not the same as RU-486 (the abortion pill). Plan B® works in a similar way to regular birth control pills to prevent an unplanned pregnancy. If a woman takes Plan B after she is already pregnant, it will not affect her pregnancy.

  • A woman only has a few days to prevent pregnancy after unprotected intercourse. The first Plan B® tablet should be taken as soon as possible within 72 hours (3 days) of unprotected intercourse, and the second tablet 12 hours later.

  • A woman may experience menstrual changes after taking Plan B®. Her period may be heavier or lighter, earlier or later. If her period is more than one week late, she may be pregnant.

  • A woman may experience nausea when taking Plan B®. If she vomits within one hour of taking a Plan B® tablet, she should call a healthcare professional immediately, to see if the dose should be repeated.

  • Plan B® does not protect against HIV infection (the virus that causes AIDS) and any other sexually transmitted disease (STD).

  • If a woman experiences severe abdominal pain after taking Plan B®, she may have an ectopic pregnancy and should seek immediate medical attention.
      The Plan B Information Center
Encourage your patients to visit the Consumers section of this website or to call the 24-hour, toll-free hotline below for more information on Plan B® and emergency contraception.

You may also use this hotline to get pharmacy support and order patient education materials (which are also downloadable from Information and Support).


       1-800-330-1271


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