American drugstore chains such as CVS and Walgreens, which usually also have an on-site pharmacy, are allowed to provide this specific medication, according to an update on the FDA’s website. Mifepristone is taken in combination with another medicine to induce an abortion from the tenth week of pregnancy. Until now it has been less easy to obtain than misoprostol, the drug that is taken 24 to 48 hours after mifepristone to induce abortion.
Under the new rules, patients with a prescription from their GP can go to regular pharmacies, provided they choose to stock and provide the drug.
Since the US Supreme Court last year overturned the decision Roe v Wade that established the national right to abortion, states have been allowed to determine whether or not abortion is allowed and to what extent. This results in huge differences between conservative states with very strict laws, states that allow abortion in dribs and drabs, and so-called ‘sanctuary states’ such as California, which also receive and treat many patients from other parts of the country.
In 2021, the FDA already lifted the condition that mifepristone could only be provided during a physical consultation. This paved the way for virtual consultations and prescriptions sent by mail.