According to a recent regulatory change by the Biden administration, retail pharmacies in the US can now administer the abortion drug mifepristone.
Mifepristone is presently only available in person from a medical professional as one of a two-drug regimen that is safe and effective for causing an abortion.
The new regulation still calls for a prescription, but patients can now pick up the medication in-person or via mail.
The action may greatly increase the number of women who can seek medical abortions.
After the Supreme Court overturned the federal right to an abortion last year, demand for abortion pills increased as a result of some states outlawing or severely limiting access to the procedure.
According to the pro-choice Guttmacher Institute, more than half of abortions performed in the US are currently performed through pill rather than surgical procedure.
As part of its pandemic-driven shift toward telemedicine, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) had announced in December 2021 that it will permanently remove the necessity for individuals to receive a prescription in person from a healthcare professional.
The FDA added the additional restrictions to its website on Tuesday, stating that the medication "may be provided by licenced pharmacies or by or under the supervision of a registered prescriber."
The two US manufacturers of the medication, Danco Laboratories and GenBioPro, stated in individual comments that they had been notified of the agency's choice.
The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists called the action "an significant step" ahead.
The FDA's announcement today will give more patients who need mifepristone for medication abortion additional options to secure this crucial drug, the organisation said in a statement. "Although it won't resolve access issues for everyone seeking abortion care, it will allow more patients who need it to secure this vital drug," it added.
Within 10 to 12 weeks of pregnancy, mifepristone and misoprostol are commonly given together to produce what is known as a pharmaceutical abortion.
Misoprostol, which is frequently used to treat miscarriages, is not a prohibited substance and is freely accessible at pharmacies with a prescription.
Pharmacies of all sizes and types, including corner drugstores, can now seek for certification to distribute mifepristone, enabling them to provide direct patient care when a patient has a prescription from a licenced prescriber. Both pharmacy companies Walgreens and CVS have stated they are looking at the new standards.
However, it's probable that the political minefields surrounding abortion will have an impact on whether and where pharmacies supply the medication.
It's also conceivable that women in the more than a dozen states where pharmaceutical abortions are prohibited will have to travel to another state to get one.
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