You can buy the most common morning-after pill, Plan B and its generics, directly off the shelf at most pharmacies, drugstores, and major retailers. No prescription, no ID, and no age requirement. If you need a more effective option or have specific concerns about weight, a prescription-only pill called ella is available through a healthcare provider or telehealth. Here’s what to know about each option and how to get them quickly.
Over-the-Counter Pills: Where to Find Them
Levonorgestrel pills (sold as Plan B One-Step, Take Action, My Way, Option 2, Julie, Aftera, and others) are available without a prescription at drugstores, pharmacies, and retail stores across the country. The FDA approved nonprescription status for these pills without any age restrictions in 2013, and that applies to all generic versions as well. Anyone can buy them.
You’ll typically find them in the family planning or feminine hygiene aisle, right on the shelf. CVS, Walgreens, Target, Walmart, and most grocery store pharmacies carry at least one brand. Some CVS locations even sell them through their drive-through. If you don’t see them on the shelf, ask the pharmacist. Some stores keep them behind the pharmacy counter to prevent theft, but you still don’t need a prescription to buy one.
Prices for generic versions range from roughly $10 to $50, depending on the brand and retailer. Plan B One-Step, the original brand name, tends to cost more than generics like Take Action or My Way. All contain the same active ingredient at the same dose and work the same way.
Ella: The Prescription Option
Ella uses a different active ingredient than Plan B and remains effective longer, working well up to five days (120 hours) after unprotected sex. Plan B works best within the first 72 hours and becomes less reliable after that, so if more than three days have passed, ella is the stronger choice.
You’ll need a prescription for ella. You can get one from your primary care provider, an OB-GYN, an urgent care clinic, or a Planned Parenthood health center. Telehealth services like Planned Parenthood Direct also prescribe ella through their app. If you’re eligible, they can ship the medication in discreet packaging within two business days or send the prescription to a pharmacy near you. That timeline works if you’re planning ahead, but it’s too slow if you need emergency contraception today.
Online and Delivery Options
If getting to a store isn’t practical, several retailers sell levonorgestrel pills online with delivery. Target, Walmart, CVS, and Amazon all offer them. Standard shipping usually takes one to three days, so this option works best when you still have time within the effectiveness window or when you want to keep a pill on hand for the future.
For ella specifically, Planned Parenthood Direct and other telehealth platforms let you message a provider, get a prescription, and have the pill shipped, typically arriving in two to three business days. Again, timing matters. If you’re already close to the 72- or 120-hour window, going to a pharmacy or clinic in person is the faster route.
How Body Weight Affects Your Choice
This is something many people don’t hear about, but it can significantly change which pill you should take. Research shows that levonorgestrel-based pills (Plan B and generics) start losing effectiveness at around 155 pounds (70 kg) and may provide essentially no protection at 176 pounds (80 kg) or above. People with a BMI of 30 or higher who took levonorgestrel-based emergency contraception had more than four times the pregnancy risk compared to those with a BMI under 25. The reason is straightforward: the standard dose produces peak blood levels about 50% lower in people with higher body weight, so there simply isn’t enough of the drug circulating to work reliably.
Ella performs better across a wider weight range, though its effectiveness also decreases at higher weights. If you weigh over 155 pounds, talk to a provider about ella or consider a copper IUD, which is the most effective emergency contraception regardless of weight.
The IUD Option
A copper IUD inserted within five days of unprotected sex is the single most effective form of emergency contraception, preventing 100% of expected pregnancies in clinical studies. A hormonal IUD containing levonorgestrel (the same type used for long-term birth control) also works as emergency contraception, preventing 93% to 96% of expected pregnancies when placed within the same five-day window.
The obvious trade-off is that getting an IUD requires a provider visit and an insertion procedure, which isn’t always possible on short notice. But if you can get an appointment quickly, the copper IUD has the added benefit of providing up to 10 years of ongoing contraception. Many Planned Parenthood clinics and community health centers offer same-day or next-day IUD insertions for emergency contraception.
Insurance Coverage and Cost
Under the Affordable Care Act, most insurance plans are required to cover all FDA-approved contraceptives without cost sharing, and that includes both levonorgestrel and ella emergency contraception. In practice, this means you should be able to get either pill at no out-of-pocket cost with a prescription from your provider. The catch with over-the-counter purchases is that coverage rules for products bought without a prescription are less clear-cut, and some plans may require you to submit a receipt for reimbursement or get a prescription first to trigger coverage.
If you’re paying out of pocket, generic levonorgestrel pills are the most affordable option, often under $20. Ella typically costs $40 to $60 at a pharmacy. Community health centers and Planned Parenthood locations sometimes offer emergency contraception on a sliding fee scale based on income.
Timing Matters More Than Anything
Every hour counts with emergency contraception. Levonorgestrel pills are most effective within the first 24 hours after unprotected sex, still reasonably effective at 48 hours, and noticeably less effective by 72 hours. Ella maintains stronger efficacy through the full five-day window but still works best the sooner you take it. If you’re deciding between driving to a pharmacy right now for Plan B or waiting a day to get an ella prescription, the faster option is usually the better one, unless you’re over 155 pounds or past the 72-hour mark.
Keeping a pill at home before you need one is a practical strategy. Levonorgestrel pills have a shelf life of several years, and having one available means you can take it within hours rather than spending time finding an open pharmacy.