Regulatory standards and processes for over-the-counter availability of hormonal contraception and drugs for medical abortion in five countries in the Eastern Mediterranean Region.

The World Health Organization 2019 WHO consolidated guideline on self-care interventions for health: sexual and reproductive health and rights includes recommendations on self-administration of injectable contraception, over-the-counter (OTC) oral contraception and self-management of medical abortion. A review of the regulatory status of these two self-care interventions can highlight processes required to ensure that the quality of the medicines and safety of individuals are safeguarded in the introduction and scale-up in countries. This review outlines the legal regulatory status of prescription-only medicine (POM) and OTC contraceptives, including emergency contraception, and drugs for medical abortion in Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco and Tunisia using information obtained from internet searches, regulatory information databases and personal contacts.