Washington.- For the first time, retail pharmacies, from corner pharmacies to big chains like CVS and Walgreens, will be able to offer abortion pills in the United States under a regulatory change made by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). . The action could significantly expand access to medical abortion.
Until now, mifepristone – the first pill used in the two-drug abortion regimen – could only be dispensed by a few mail-order pharmacies or specially certified doctors or clinics. Under the new FDA rules, patients will still need a prescription from a certified healthcare provider, but any pharmacy that agrees to take those prescriptions and meets certain other criteria will be able to dispense the pills in their stores and by mail order.
The change comes as abortion pills, already used in more than half of US pregnancy terminations, are becoming even more in demand following last summer’s Supreme Court decision that struck down the federal right to abortion. . As conservative states ban or drastically restrict abortion, the pills have increasingly become the focus of political and legal battles, which can influence a pharmacy’s decision on whether or not to dispense the drug.
The FDA did not issue an announcement but planned to update its website to reflect the decision. The two makers of the pill, Danco Laboratories and GenBrioPro, released statements saying the agency informed them of the action.
The action is the latest step by the federal government to expand access to abortion pills by easing some restrictions that have been placed on mifepristone since it was approved in 2000.
In December 2021, the FDA said it would permanently eliminate the requirement that patients obtain mifepristone in person from a healthcare provider, a step that paved the way for telemedicine abortion services that involve physician consultations over the phone. video, phone or online questionnaires and then the pills are mailed.
Yesterday, the FDA officially removed the in-person requirement from its regulatory rulebook for mifepristone, leaving in place the two remaining requirements: that healthcare providers be certified to demonstrate that they have the knowledge and ability to treat patients who abort and have patients complete a consent form.
