According to recent reports, retail pharmacies such as CVS and Walgreens are the first in the United States to be allowed to fill prescriptions for mifepristone, the first of two pills used for medical abortion. increase. update Provided by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Permanent regulatory changes are expected to increase access to abortion across the country following an overturning Supreme Court ruling. Law vs Wade Last year; this landmark case, which has guaranteed federal abortion rights since 1973, was officially repealed in June 2022.
People who wanted or needed a medical abortion prior to this regulatory change, which was approved by the FDA on January 3, more than half of all abortions In the United States, mifepristone was only accessible through a doctor’s office, clinic, or some mail-order pharmacies. , retail pharmacies that agree to carry the drug and follow certain standards can dispense the pill either face-to-face or by mail order. The misoprostol used does not face the same restrictions and can be picked up at pharmacies with a prescription.)
According to, this change is a pretty big deal. Lauren Streicher, M.D., Clinical Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. “Everything is telemedicine,” she tells her SELF. Prior to this, there was a requirement that mifepristone must be directly dispensed. the current, in 18 states, the prescribing clinician must also be physically present when the drug is taken. One of the reasons? There is a “ridiculous” concern that someone will be prescribed the drug and then give it to others, Dr. Streicher said, noting that most other drugs have no such restrictions.
Requiring people to get or take abortion pills in person, usually at a doctor’s office or clinic, has always been problematic for a variety of reasons, but especially trying to get a prescription via telemedicine. In that case, it was “a big barrier,” Streicher says. Depending on where you currently live and access to care, you can get your prescription via telemedicine, go to a licensed pharmacy of your choice (or request a mail order), and “keep your privacy at home.” You can take the pill by yourself. Another perk of hers: “This change also means someone else can pick up the prescription,” she adds Dr. Streicher. (Note: Always a good idea. Read your state’s stance on abortion This is to familiarize yourself with the local laws first. )
Our research on medical abortion supports the FDA’s decision. Reproductive Health Physician, tells SELF. “apart from years of medical research “There were medically unnecessary restrictions on how mifepristone was prescribed to show that medical abortion, and mifepristone in particular, was safe and effective,” she says. follows science by removing unnecessary barriers to safe, evidence-based medicine.” Remember: People receive their prescriptions from certified prescribers.