The U.S. Supreme Court reentered the abortion debate Wednesday, agreeing to review a lower court decision that would make mifepristone, the commonly used abortion pill, less accessible.
The court's action sets up a collision between the Food and Drug Administration's 23-year study and supervision of the abortion pill, and the circumstances under which it can be prescribed. Mifepristone was first approved by the FDA in 2000; the agency required the drug to be prescribed in person, over three visits to a doctor. Since 2016, however, the FDA has eased that regimen, allowing patients to obtain prescriptions through telemedicine appointments, and to get the drug by mail.
