FDA lifts restrictions on heavily regulated abortion pills, permitting mail delivery in states that allow it
![Protest in favor of abortion pills](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/SSP2f6ZQtaRL6V2k9SxRk5-415-80.jpg)
The Food and Drug Administration on Thursday permanently lifted 20-year-old restrictions against home delivery and telehealth prescription of a set of pills to terminate a pregnancy, saying a review of the abortion pill's safety did not warrant the extra rules. The FDA has allowed telehealth consultations and mail delivery of the drugs, mifepristone and misoprostol, since April under a special pandemic dispensation.
The FDA imposed the requirement that women obtain the two pills only after an in-person consultation at a limited number of specialty clinics and doctor's offices when it approved mifepristone in 2000. It lifted them in response to a 2017 lawsuit by the American Civil Liberties Union. Proponents of abortion rights said the FDA acted just in time.
"With Roe v. Wade hanging by a thread, it is especially urgent that the federal government do everything in its power to expand access to this medication," said ACLU staff attorney Julia Kaye. The ACLU applauded the FDA but said it should have ended the other extra restrictions on the pills. Doctors who prescribe mifepristone still have to undergo certification and training, and dispensing pharmacies need to be certified.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
![https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516-320-80.jpg)
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
The American Medical Association and other medical groups have called for the restrictions to be lifted since a 2017 study from Canada found medication abortions equally safe without in-person consultation. Abortion opponents said the lifting of the in-person requirement could adversely affect some women.
The FDA's easing of restrictions will have no practical effect in the more than dozen states, mostly in the South and Midwest, that have banned in-person delivery or telehealth prescription of the abortion pills.
Still, "increased use of mail-order abortion pills could pose a dilemma for the anti-abortion movement, given that its leaders generally say they don't favor criminalizing the actions of women seeking abortions and because mail deliveries can be an elusive target for prosecutors," The Associated Press reports.
Abigail Aiken, assistant professor of public affairs at the University of Texas at Austin, said she's often asked whether the country is headed to "back-alley abortions and infections" without Roe v. Wade. "One of the things we have that we didn't have in the '60s and '70s is access to abortion pills that are very safe, very effective if you have the right instructions," she told The Washington Post. They also let you "take your health care into your own hands when the state legislature is trying to block access."
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.
-
Hamas and Fatah sign unity agreement in Beijing
Speed Read China brokered a reconciliation deal between the rival Palestinian factions
By Arion McNicoll, The Week UK Published
-
The Earth just saw its hottest day on record
Speed Read July 21, 2024 was the hottest day in recorded global history
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Bob Menendez to resign after corruption conviction
Speed Read The New Jersey senator submitted to resignation pressure following charges of federal bribery and corruption
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Mushroom edibles are tripping up users
the explainer The psychedelics can sometimes have questionable components
By Devika Rao, The Week US Published
-
Brexit, Matt Hancock and black swans: five takeaways from Covid inquiry report
The Explainer UK was 'unprepared' for pandemic and government 'failed' citizens with flawed response, says damning report
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
The US is at risk for dengue fever
The explainer The buzz surrounding the mosquito-borne illness
By Devika Rao, The Week US Published
-
Should masks be here to stay?
Talking Points New York Governor Kathy Hochul proposed a mask ban. Here's why she wants one — and why it may not make sense.
By Anya Jaremko-Greenwold, The Week US Published
-
Engineered stone is bad for the lungs
Under the Radar Quartz comes at a cost
By Devika Rao, The Week US Published
-
Why more children are being diagnosed with ADHD
The Explainer The condition is increasingly common, but not for the reasons you might think
By Devika Rao, The Week US Published
-
What reclassifying cannabis could change
The Explainer The Biden administration's move to change marijuana from a Schedule I narcotic to Schedule III could reshape the pot landscape even if it doesn't mean full federal legalization
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
In what countries is assisted dying legal or under review?
In the spotlight More countries are granting more people the right to die
By Devika Rao, The Week US Published