US regulators lift in-person restrictions on abortion pill

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Food and Drug Administration on Thursday permanently loosened several key restrictions on abortion pills, including a long-standing requirement that the medication be picked up in person.

Under the change, millions of American women will be able to get a prescription via an online consultation and receive the pills through the mail. FDA officials said a scientific review supported broadening access, including eliminating the restriction that limited dispensing to a small number of specialty clinics and doctor's offices.

But prescribers will still need to undergo certification and training. Additionally, the agency said dispensing pharmacies will have to be certified.

The decision is the latest shift in the polarized legal battle over medication abortion, which has only intensified amid the disruptions of the COVID-19 pandemic. It is certain to spur legal challenges and more restrictions in Republican-led states.

Earlier this the year the FDA stopped enforcing the in-person requirement because of the pandemic. Under Thursday’s decision, the agency will permanently drop the rule, which has long been opposed by medical societies, including the American Medical Association, that say the restrictions offer no clear benefit to patients.

The FDA’s latest scientific review stems from a 2017 lawsuit by the American Civil Liberties Union, which argued that the agency’s restrictions block or delay medical care, especially for people in low-income and rural communities.

The ACLU hailed the elimination of the strictest requirements but said regulators should have gone further and allowed prescribing by any physician and broader dispensing. Abortion opponents said the FDA decision would result in more drug-related side effects and complications for women.

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