Effective birth control pill and no blood test

Important Safety Information About Loestrin^® 24 Fe

Is a blood test recommended with your birth control pill?

Have you heard? There are birth control pills that may require you to get a blood test to check your potassium levels when taken with certain other medications.

Are you taking one? Check with your healthcare provider. Do you need a blood test with your birth control pill?

Loestrin 24 Fe. Effective birth control pill. No blood test.

Does your birth control pill require a blood test?

If you take Yaz^® (drospirenone and ethinyl estradiol) or Yasmin^® (drospirenone and ethinyl estradiol tablets), birth control pills that contain drospirenone, your healthcare provider may ask you to get a blood test to check your potassium if you take this pill with some other prescription and non-prescription medications on a long-term basis. Ask your healthcare provider if you need to take a blood test with the pill you're on.

And remember, even if you're not currently taking the other medications that could increase your potassium levels, you might in the future. Always tell your healthcare provider when you start taking other medications while you are on a birth control pill.

Take control. It's your choice.

Birth control pills containing drospirenone may increase potassium levels when taken with certain prescription and non-prescription medications on a daily long-term basis for chronic conditions. Your doctor may not know about other medications you are taking or have recently started taking.

So, if your healthcare provider hasn't brought this to your attention yet, be sure you know the facts for yourself. Work with your prescriber to make a choice today. Request the birth control pill that's right for you.

No blood test* with Loestrin 24 Fe.
And you get short periods!

Hate blood tests? Love short periods? Ask your healthcare provider about Loestrin 24 Fe. With the Loestrin 24 Fe birth control pill, you don't have to worry about a blood test*. And you get short periods that last, on average, 3 days or less^†.

Loestrin 24 Fe is an effective, low estrogen birth control pill that was introduced in April 2006. Since then, this oral contraceptive has been prescribed more than 1 million times...
and counting.

* The FDA-approved prescribing information for Loestrin 24 Fe does not reference the need for a blood test. A periodic personal and medical history and complete physical exam are appropriate for all women, including women using Loestrin 24 Fe or other oral contraceptives.

^†In a clinical trial, on average, women taking Loestrin 24 Fe had a period that lasted less than
3 days by cycle 6.

Hate blood tests? Choose Loestrin 24 Fe.


The facts at a glance
•	While taking Yaz^® and Yasmin^®, birth control pills containing drospirenone, you may be required to take a blood test to check your potassium levels.
	—	Taking these birth control pills along with certain over-the-counter and prescription medications on a daily long-term basis for chronic conditions may increase your potassium levels.
•	In a study sponsored by the FDA, the authors found that almost 20% of women taking an oral contraceptive containing drospirenone were prescribed other medications that may increase potassium levels.
•	Your healthcare provider can tell you if you need a blood test with the birth control pill you're taking.
•	Loestrin 24 Fe gives you short periods that last, on average, 3 days or less^† and you don't have to worry about a blood test*.


	FDA-sponsored study
	•		The FDA has required that birth control pills containing drospirenone include a warning in their labels that addresses a potential risk for increased potassium under certain conditions when taking these pills.^1,2
	•		In a study sponsored by the FDA, the authors concluded that drospirenone-containing birth control pills and medications that increase potassium levels are frequently prescribed together, and they note that this issue is "of public health significance in the United States because use of oral contraceptives containing drospirenone is growing faster than use of other drugs in the oral contraceptives class."³
	•		They recommend that healthcare professionals should monitor their patients who are on these particular birth control pills in combination with certain other prescription and non-prescription medications.³
	•		They also recommend that healthcare professionals ask their patients consistently over time about other medications that may have been added after the initial use of these specific birth control pills.³

Yaz^® and Yasmin^® are registered trademarks of Bayer Schering Pharma AG.
References:
1.	Yaz (drospirenone and ethinyl estradiol) Tablets [PI]. Montville, NJ: Berlex, Inc.; 2007.
2.	Yasmin (drospirenone and ethinyl estradiol tablets) [PI]. Wayne, NJ: Berlex Laboratories; 2005.
3.	McAdams M, Staffa JA, Dal Pan GJ. The concomitant prescribing of ethinyl estradiol/drospirenone and potentially interacting drugs. Contraception. 2007;76(4):278-281.


		To learn more about Loestrin 24 Fe and to get a money-saving coupon off your first prescription, visit www.Loestrin24.com.

Important Safety Information about Loestrin 24 Fe: Oral contraceptives are not for everybody. Most side effects of the Pill are not serious and those that are, occur infrequently. Serious risks, which can be life threatening, include blood clots, stroke, and heart attacks, and are increased if you smoke cigarettes. Cigarette smoking increases the risk of serious cardiovascular side effects, especially if you're over 35. Women who use oral contraceptives should not smoke. Some women should not use the Pill, including women who have or have had blood clots, certain cancers, a history of heart attack or stroke, as well as those who are or may be pregnant. The Pill does not protect against HIV or sexually transmitted diseases.

For further safety and other information please see the Patient Prescribing Information.



© 2008 Warner Chilcott (US), LLC All rights reserved	For information about Loestrin^® 1/20 or 1.5/30, please click here