You can buy the morning-after pill at most pharmacies, drugstores, and many grocery stores without a prescription, an ID, or any age requirement. It’s available over the counter at chains like CVS, Walgreens, Rite Aid, Target, and Walmart, and you can also order it online with same-day delivery options in many areas. If cost is a concern, generic versions are available for as little as $11.
Pharmacies and Retail Stores
The most common levonorgestrel-based morning-after pills (Plan B One-Step and its generics) are stocked on pharmacy shelves alongside other reproductive health products. You don’t need to ask a pharmacist, though some stores keep them behind the counter or in a locked case to prevent theft. If you don’t see it on the shelf, just ask at the pharmacy window.
Major chains that carry emergency contraception include CVS, Walgreens, Rite Aid, Walmart, Target, and Kroger-affiliated pharmacies. Many independent pharmacies stock it too. CVS, for example, offers same-day delivery in as little as three hours for orders to eligible addresses. You can also buy it through Amazon, which may be useful if you want to keep one on hand before you need it.
No Prescription, No ID, No Age Limit
Since 2013, the FDA has approved Plan B One-Step and its generics for nonprescription use without any age restrictions. That applies nationwide. You do not need to show an ID, and no pharmacist can legally require one for a levonorgestrel product. Anyone of any age can walk in and buy it.
There is one exception. A different type of emergency contraception called ella (ulipristal acetate) does require a prescription. Ella works up to five days after unprotected sex and is generally more effective in that later window, but you’ll need to see a provider or use a telehealth service to get it.
How Much It Costs
Brand-name Plan B One-Step typically runs $40 to $50. Generic versions contain the same active ingredient at the same dose and cost significantly less, sometimes as low as $11. The generic options include names like Take Action, My Way, and AfterPill. They work the same way.
If you have health insurance, emergency contraception is considered preventive care under the Affordable Care Act. That means most insurance plans are required to cover it without a copay, including both levonorgestrel pills and ella, as long as a provider determines it’s appropriate. Some plans with religious exemptions don’t follow this rule, but most do. If you’re buying it over the counter without running it through insurance, you’ll pay the retail price out of pocket.
Low-Cost and Free Options
If the retail price is a barrier, clinics that participate in the federal Title X family planning program can provide emergency contraception for free or at reduced cost based on your income. Planned Parenthood locations are among the most well-known Title X providers, but community health centers and local public health departments participate too. Eligibility is based on household income, and fees follow a sliding scale, so you may pay nothing.
Title X clinics can also help if your employer-sponsored insurance excludes contraception coverage due to a religious or moral objection, or if you’re uninsured and don’t qualify for Medicaid. You can find a nearby Title X clinic by searching the Office of Population Affairs clinic locator online.
Which Type to Choose
Levonorgestrel pills (Plan B and generics) work best when taken as soon as possible after unprotected sex, ideally within 72 hours. Effectiveness drops with each passing day. They’re the easiest to access since no prescription is needed.
Ella is the more effective option if you’re past the 72-hour mark, working up to 120 hours (five days) after unprotected sex. It requires a prescription, but several telehealth services can write one quickly, sometimes within an hour, and send it to your local pharmacy or ship the pill directly.
Weight and Effectiveness
Body weight can affect how well the morning-after pill works, and this is worth knowing before you choose. Levonorgestrel pills may be less effective in people who weigh more than 165 pounds and may lose most of their effectiveness above 176 pounds. That doesn’t mean they do nothing at higher weights, but the protection is reduced.
Ella appears to maintain better effectiveness for people with a BMI over 30. If weight is a factor for you and you’re within the five-day window, ella with a quick telehealth prescription may be the better choice. The most effective emergency contraception at any weight is a copper IUD placed by a provider within five days, though that involves a clinic visit and costs significantly more without insurance.
Buying It Before You Need It
Emergency contraception doesn’t expire for several years, and having it at home means you can take it faster if you ever need it. Since effectiveness drops with every hour of delay, keeping a dose in your medicine cabinet removes the stress of finding an open pharmacy at 2 a.m. Generic versions are inexpensive enough to stock ahead of time, and there’s no medical downside to purchasing it in advance.