Dem
51
GOP
49
The FDA has now issued a new rule allowing retail pharmacies to stock and dispense the abortion pill (mifepristone) to anyone who walks in with a prescription from a doctor. In some cases, the prescription may be obtained by a video consultation with the prescribing physician. However, a pharmacy needs to go through a special certification process before it can stock and dispense the drug and pharmacies in states where abortion is illegal are not likely to do this.
Nevertheless, even in abortion-unfriendly states, this could make a difference. If a woman suddenly discovers that she is 5½ weeks pregnant in a state that bans abortions after 6 weeks, getting the pill right now is hugely important. If she can get a prescription quickly from her doctor or via telemedicine and then just walk into a nearby pharmacy that has the drug in stock and get it immediately, that will be a huge relief for her.
The new rule could also benefit women who do not have a stable home address to which the pill could be mailed or who do not want a parent or partner to see that they have gotten it. For women who live in states that ban abortions but who live within driving distance of a pharmacy in a different state that does not, the new rule also makes getting an abortion easier. All in all, the new rule will make abortions easier to obtain and more common. Naturally there will be lawsuits, but assuming the FDA has followed all of the normal rule-making procedures, the courts are unlikely to tell it to reverse the rule. (V)