Plan B

Emergency contraception remains difficult to obtain for women across the country.

Inconsistent or confusing state laws and store policies, along with some pharmacists who won't dispense it for religious reasons, are complicating and sometimes blocking access to the drug.

FDA restrictions on how the drug is sold without a prescription are contributing to the problem, experts said. The agency requires Plan B to be stored behind the pharmacy counter rather than on store shelves, and buyers must be at least 18 years old and must prove it with government identification.

These restrictions permit pharmacy employees to block access to the drug, whether mistakenly or because of their personal objections. As a result, some noncitizens are being asked to produce government photo IDs, when photos aren't required, and some men are told that only women can buy the drug.

"We knew the (FDA) restrictions would cause a whole host of problems, some of which we hadn't even foreseen, so it's not a surprise that women are still encountering refusals," said Gretchen Borchelt, an attorney with the National Women's Law Center in Washington.

In some cases, pharmacists with personal objections aren't stocking the medication, won't fill or refill prescriptions and won't tell customers how to get the drug elsewhere. In small towns with few options, that can cause delays that greatly diminish the drug's effectiveness.