Once they apply for and receive FDA clearance, pharmacies like CVS and Walgreens can lawfully sell abortion pills to their customers.
Mifepristone, a medication used in abortions, was formerly available solely via medical professionals and clinics and very seldom from mail-order pharmacies. Any pharmacy in compliance with FDA guidelines may fill your prescription.
On Tuesday, the FDA announced that both Mifeprex and generic Mifepristone Tablets, 200 mg are subject to the Mifepristone REMS Program, which details the procedures that must be followed when using mifepristone for medical abortion up to week ten of pregnancy.
The Food and Drug Administration strongly advises against buying mifepristone online without a prescription.
The Food and Drug Administration strongly warns against buying prescription medications from sources outside the official U.S. pharmaceutical supply chain.
Medical abortions are expected to make up 54% of all abortions in the U.S. by 2020, according to the Guttmacher Institute. Since most drugstores now have abortion pills, that figure is sure to rise.
The Food and Drug Administration has changed its mind about abortion because of several significant legislative developments in the past year. After the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in June, states could again enact their abortion legislation.
As a direct reaction to the Supreme Court’s ruling, the legislatures of 13 states have passed “trigger laws,” which impose stringent restrictions on abortion. Following the decision, some states enacted laws restricting women’s ability to get an abortion.
The implementation of new abortion rules has been hindered by litigation.
Mississippi is one of the states that has publicly banned the distribution of abortion drugs within its borders. Republican Governor Tate Reeves of Mississippi made it plain in July that any doctor discovered providing medications for abortions in the state would have their license revoked.
In July, Reeves said, “If a physician is practicing medicine in the state of Mississippi, they have to have a license to do so,” adding, “if abortion is illegal in our state, which it is, then those pharmaceuticals will not be permitted, and they will not have a license to operate in our state.”
To practice medicine in his state, a doctor must adhere to “the standards of care that we require in our state,” as well as applicable regulations.
Republican Governor Kristi Noem of South Dakota has enacted a ban on abortions performed via telemedicine.
As Noem explained to reporters, “With this measure, we would rescue unborn children and their parents from this risky surgery.”
The Guttmacher Institute states that “the practitioner conducting a medication abortion must be physically present when the drug is delivered,” making it illegal for doctors to utilize telemedicine to provide medication for abortions in 18 states.
In Texas, abortions caused by drugs are prohibited beginning in week seven, whereas in Indiana, they are not outlawed until week ten.