After the United States Supreme Court
overturned Roe v. Wade, the landmark 1973 judgement that guaranteed federal
protection to abortion rights, pharmaceutical chains across many parts of the
country have started limiting the amount of emergency contraceptives that can
be bought, according to a CNN report.

The cap on emergency contraceptive buying comes
at a time of rife demand when abortions have become outlawed in several states
with the overturning of Roe v. Wade. The removal of Roe v. Wade as a settled
question of law has left it to individual states to decide legislation on
abortion.

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Among the contraceptives that are being
rationed are Plan B and Aftera. Drug sellers are limiting the sale of such contraceptives
to three. CVS, an American pharmaceuticals retail chain, said although they
have adequate supply of both Plan B and Aftera, the company is limiting
purchases to three per customer “to ensure equitable access and consistent supply
on store shelves,” CNN reported citing an email from Matt Blanchett, the
company’s senior manager of retail communications.

Rite Aid, another drug seller company, said, “Due
to increased demand, at this time we are limiting purchases of Plan B
contraceptive pills to three per customer,” according to CNN who communicated
with the company’s senior manager of external communications Alicja Wojczyk.  

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Emergency contraception is one of the key
methods of avoiding pregnancy after unprotected sex. Often, emergency contraception
comes to use when people have forgotten to take birth control pills or in case
of a condom break. The high stakes on abortion, with the procedure becoming
illegal in several states, has raised the demand for emergency contraceptives.

Emergency contraceptives, however, do not come
to use once a pregnancy has happened. “Using (emergency contraception) does not
cause an abortion. An abortion ends an existing pregnancy. EC prevents
pregnancy from occurring. EC must be used soon after unprotected sexual
intercourse to be effective. It does not work if pregnancy has already occurred,”
according to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists.