The medical director of the Irish Medicines Board, Dr Joan Gilvarry, has said the morning-after pill could be licensed as a contraceptive agent on the basis of medical and legal opinion.
The IMB evaluates all drugs prior to their use in the Republic. The pill's legal and medical status had been reviewed by the board over a period of 15 months, she confirmed.
Senior counsel opinion was that the morning-after pill could be classified as a contraceptive, said Dr Gilvarry.
"We wanted to be on firm legal ground before we classified it," she said on RTÉ last night.
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Drugs are licensed by the IMB provided they meet the standard criteria in relation to quality, safety and effectiveness, she added.