The Food and Drug Administration on Tuesday made a regulatory change that will make it possible for retail pharmacies to offer abortion pills in the U.S., Axios has confirmed.
Under the regulatory change, certified pharmacies may dispense mifepristone — which is used with misoprostol in first-trimester abortions — directly to patients after receiving a prescription from a certified health provider, according to a statement from Danco Laboratories, one of the makers of the pill.
The FDA has yet to make an announcement, but the agency is expected to update its website to reflect the change later Tuesday.
The New York Times first reported the news.
Mifepristone is approved by the FDA in the U.S. under the Risk Evaluation and Mitigation System (REMS) Program.
Previously, mifepristone could only be dispensed by clinics, medical offices, and hospitals or under the supervision of a certified health provider.
In December 2021, the FDA announced that it was permanently getting rid of the in-person dispensing requirement. Tuesday’s regulatory update makes that change official.
“At a time when people across the country are struggling to obtain abortion care services, this modification is critically important to expanding access to medication abortion services and will provide healthcare providers with an additional method for providing their patients with a safe and effective option for ending early pregnancy,” Danco said in a statement.
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