Chewable birth control pill approved

WASHINGTON, Nov. 14 - Women are about to get their first chewable birth-control pill. The Food and Drug Administration on Friday approved a chewable, spearmint-flavored version of a longtime contraceptive tablet, called Ovcon 35.

The tablet works if a woman swallows it whole. But a woman also can chew this version, as long as she then drinks a full glass of liquid immediately afterward to ensure the full dose reaches the stomach and no residue is left in the mouth, the FDA said.

Warner Chilcott Inc. of Rockaway, N.J., will market the chewable contraceptive. Officials didn’t return phone calls asking how soon it will be available, and at what price.

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