To achieve maximum contraceptive effectiveness, VIORELE® (desogestrel and ethinyl estradiol tablets, USP and ethinyl estradiol tablets, USP) must be taken exactly as directed and at intervals not exceeding 24 hours. VIORELE® may be initiated using either a Sunday start or a Day 1 start.

NOTE: Each cycle pack blister is preprinted with the days of the week, starting with Sunday, to facilitate a Sunday start regimen. Six different “day label strips” are provided with each cycle pack blister in order to accommodate a Day 1 start regimen. In this case, the patient should place the self-adhesive “day label strip” that corresponds to her starting day over the preprinted days.

IMPORTANT: The possibility of ovulation and conception prior to initiation of use of VIORELE® should be considered.

The use of VIORELE® for contraception may be initiated 4 weeks postpartum in women who elect not to breastfeed. When the tablets are administered during the postpartum period, the increased risk of thromboembolic disease associated with the postpartum period must be considered (see CONTRAINDICATIONS and WARNINGS concerning thromboembolic disease. See also PRECAUTIONS for “Nursing Mothers”).

If the patient starts on VIORELE® postpartum, and has not yet had a period, she should be instructed to use another method of contraception until a white to off-white tablet has been taken daily for 7 days.

SUNDAY START

When initiating a Sunday start regimen, another method of contraception should be used until after the first 7 consecutive days of administration.

Using a Sunday start, tablets are taken daily without interruption as follows: The first white to off-white tablet should be taken on the first Sunday after menstruation begins (if menstruation begins on Sunday, the first white to off-white tablet is taken on that day). One white to off-white tablet is taken daily for 21 days, followed by 1 pale green to yellowish green (inert) tablet daily for 2 days and 1 light yellow to yellow (active) tablet daily for 5 days. For all subsequent cycles, the patient then begins a new 28-tablet regimen on the next day (Sunday) after taking the last light yellow to yellow tablet. [If switching from a Sunday start oral contraceptive, the first VIORELE® tablet should be taken on the second Sunday after the last tablet of a 21-day regimen or should be taken on the first Sunday after the last inactive tablet of a 28 day regimen.]

If a patient misses 1 white to off-white tablet, she should take the missed tablet as soon as she remembers. If the patient misses 2 consecutive white to off-white tablets in Week 1 or Week 2, the patient should take 2 tablets the day she remembers and 2 tablets the next day; thereafter, the patient should resume taking 1 tablet daily until she finishes the cycle pack. The patient should be instructed to use a back-up method of birth control if she has intercourse in the 7 days after missing pills. If the patient misses 2 consecutive white to off-white tablets in the third week or misses 3 or more white to off-white tablets in a row at any time during the cycle, the patient should keep taking 1 white to off-white tablet daily until the next Sunday. On Sunday the patient should throw out the rest of that cycle pack and start a new cycle pack that same day. The patient should be instructed to use a back-up method of birth control if she has intercourse in the 7 days after missing pills.

DAY 1 START

Counting the first day of menstruation as “Day 1”, tablets are taken without interruption as follows: One white to off-white tablet daily for 21 days, one pale green to yellowish green (inert) tablet daily for 2 days followed by 1 light yellow to yellow (ethinyl estradiol) tablet daily for 5 days. For all subsequent cycles, the patient then begins a new 28-tablet regimen on the next day after taking the last light yellow to yellow tablet. [If switching directly from another oral contraceptive, the first white to off-white tablet should be taken on the first day of menstruation which begins after the last ACTIVE tablet of the previous product.]

If a patient misses 1 white to off-white tablet, she should take the missed tablet as soon as she remembers. If the patient misses 2 consecutive white to off-white tablets in Week 1 or Week 2, the patient should take 2 tablets the day she remembers and 2 tablets the next day; thereafter, the patient should resume taking 1 tablet daily until she finishes the cycle pack. The patient should be instructed to use a back-up method of birth control if she has intercourse in the 7 days after missing pills. If the patient misses 2 consecutive white to off-white tablets in the third week or if the patient misses 3 or more white to off-white tablets in a row at any time during the cycle, the patient should throw out the rest of that cycle pack and start a new cycle pack that same day. The patient should be instructed to use a back-up method of birth control if she has intercourse in the 7 days after missing pills.

ALL ORAL CONTRACEPTIVES

Breakthrough bleeding, spotting, and amenorrhea are frequent reasons for patients discontinuing oral contraceptives. In breakthrough bleeding, as in all cases of irregular bleeding from the vagina, non-functional causes should be borne in mind. In undiagnosed persistent or recurrent abnormal bleeding from the vagina, adequate diagnostic measures are indicated to rule out pregnancy or malignancy. If both pregnancy and pathology have been excluded, time or a change to another preparation may solve the problem. Changing to an oral contraceptive with a higher estrogen content, while potentially useful in minimizing menstrual irregularity, should be done only if necessary since this may increase the risk of thromboembolic disease.

Use of oral contraceptives in the event of a missed menstrual period:

1.

If the patient has not adhered to the prescribed schedule, the possibility of pregnancy should be considered at the time of the first missed period and oral contraceptive use should be discontinued until pregnancy is ruled out.

2.

If the patient has adhered to the prescribed regimen and misses two consecutive periods, pregnancy should be ruled out before continuing oral contraceptive use.