FDA finalises rule expanding availability of abortion pills

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Food and Drug Administration on Tuesday finalised a rule change that broadens the availability of abortion pills to many more pharmacies, including large chains and mail-order companies.

The Biden administration partially implemented the change last year, announcing it would no longer enforce a long-standing requirement that women pick up the medicine in person.

Tuesday's action formally updates the drug's labelling to allow many more retail pharmacies to dispense the pills, so long as they complete a certification process.

The change could expand access at both brick-and-mortar stores and online pharmacies.

Women can get a prescription via telehealth consultation with a health professional, and then receive the pills through the mail, where permitted by law.

Still, the rule change's impact has been blunted by numerous state laws limiting abortion broadly and the pills specifically.

Legal experts foresee years of court battles over access to the pills, as abortion-rights proponents bring test cases to challenge state restrictions.

For more than 20 years, the FDA labelling had limited dispensing to a subset of specialty offices and clinics, due to safety concerns.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the FDA temporarily suspended the in-person requirement.

The agency later said a new scientific review by agency staff supported easing access, concurring with numerous medical societies that had long said the restriction wasn't necessary.

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