On Jan. 3, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration took a first step toward making abortion pills available at retail pharmacies. It released new rules outlining how both bricks-and-mortar and mail-order pharmacies can get certified to dispense mifepristone, the first pill in a medication abortion. But the agency also left in place unnecessary restrictions, showing how far we have to go in offering access.
As a public health researcher and abortion safety expert, I welcome efforts to make abortion pills more easily available. Research shows that medication abortion has a safety rating of over 99%. A pregnant person should be able to simply message their primary care provider about their unintended pregnancy and get a prescription for abortion pills filled at their local pharmacy, the way we obtain many other time-sensitive prescriptions.
There’s been progress. At the end of 2021, the FDA updated its rules to allow patients to receive the medications by mail following a telehealth appointment, a method that our team of researchers at the University of California, San Francisco has found to be safe and effective. Last week’s announcement opens the door to all pharmacies to dispense mifepristone.
