ABC News -The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Thursday permanently lifted its restriction on the abortion pill mifepristone that required providers to dispense the drug in person, allowing it to be delivered by mail.
The decision is subject to state laws that can criminalize the practice. But the FDA move could still have significant consequences for women, particularly in rural areas where it might be harder for women to find a clinic or doctor that will administer the drug in person.
In its updated guidance online, the FDA cited the need to "reduce burden on patient access and the health care delivery system."
Abortion rights groups cheered the move but said more needs to be done to ease access.
"While the action today will go a long way for people seeking care, other barriers remain and must be lifted once and for all," said Destiny Lopez, co-president of All* Above All.
Mifepristone, which blocks the hormone progesterone needed to support a pregnancy, is given to women within the first 10 weeks. The pill is taken with another drug called misoprostol, which causes cramping and bleeding to empty the uterus.
The FDA had stopped enforcing....Read More
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