WASHINGTON – The Supreme Court on May 4 reinstated mail-order access to the widely used abortion drug mifepristone, a temporary decision that gives the justices more time to consider the issue.
The court intervened after the Food and Drug Administration was ordered on May 1 to revive a requirement that doctors prescribe the drug only after an in-person exam. It was the first time access to mifepristone had been significantly curtailed during years of litigation over the the drug, which was first approved in 2000.
At the request of drug makers, the justices paused until at least May 11 the restrictive ruling by a lower court while they decide what the rules for mifepristone should be as Louisiana challenges expanded access.
More: Supreme Court asked to keep abortion drug mifepristone available by mail
State officials argue that allowing the drug to be dispensed through the mail ignores the threat of complications from mifepristone, such as sepsis and hemorrhaging. Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill also says mailed delivery of the drug allows women to get around abortion bans.
