Theft, dealing could cause serious issues
Shippensburg University has taken medical accessibility to a whole new level filling a vending machine with the emergency contraception pill Plan B.
It is commendable of Shippensburg to come up with a quicker way to retrieve the emergency contraception, but the university officials are not thinking of the potential risks involved with the availability. One risk is how often pills will be restocked. Many items in vending machines are left unsold for long periods of time.
The university needs to make sure that all pills left over certain periods of time are not sold. It is one thing for a pack of crackers to be months-old in vending machines, but outdated pills can lead to various health risks, and legal issues as well.
Another potential risk also deals with break-ins and thefts. It’s much easier to break into a vending machine, and on top of that, patrons of the machine are carrying much more money than they would to purchase a soda.
Making those pills that accessible can also open a new underground market for the pills as well. Because of the anonymity of the machine, purchasers can easily provide youth under the legal age with the pill.
Despite the risks to society in general, over-access can have personal consequences as well. There is no limit on the amount of times Plan B can be taken, but that does not mean it is safe to take the pill every day.
The fact that university health care programs already discount the emergency contraceptive makes it accessible enough. Hopefully Shippensburg does not start a trend around universities to sell pills in vending machines.
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