WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court on Monday reinstated widespread access to the abortion pill mifepristone, halting a decision that could have disrupted a primary method of performing abortions nationwide.
The order, issued by Justice Samuel Alito, temporarily permits women to obtain the pill from pharmacies or via mail without needing an in-person doctor’s visit.
These regulations had been in place for several years until a federal appeals court introduced new restrictions last week.
In the U.S., the majority of abortions are conducted using medications, typically combining mifepristone with another drug, misoprostol. The availability of these medications has reduced the impact of abortion prohibitions that many Republican-led states have attempted to enforce following a 2022 Supreme Court decision that overturned Roe v. Wade.
Louisiana initiated a lawsuit to limit access to mifepristone, claiming its availability weakened the ban there.
Some states led by Democrats have enacted laws to protect those who prescribe the drugs through telehealth to patients in states where bans are in effect.
Alito’s order will remain valid for another week while both parties respond and the court further examines the issue.
Producers of mifepristone submitted emergency appeals requesting the Supreme Court’s intervention.
Kristan Hawkins, president of the anti-abortion organization Students for Life, criticized Monday’s decision.
“Pill pushers receive every benefit of the doubt, including today, as Justice Alito allows pill traffickers and big pharma to operate temporarily while arguments are sent to the Court,” she remarked in a statement.
Following the appeals court’s ruling on Friday, some groups that prescribe abortion pills via telehealth had intended to transition to misoprostol-only treatments.
Dr. Angel Foster, founder of The Massachusetts Abortion Access Project, stated her organization was getting ready to distribute only misoprostol on Monday afternoon but was able to revert to previous methods.
“Regardless of what happens with this regulatory issue, we and other groups will continue to provide high-quality abortion care to patients in all 50 states,” she affirmed.
— Mark Sherman and Geoff Mulvihill
