CVS Health and Walgreens, two major pharmacy chains in the United States, have recently started selling the abortion pill mifepristone, expanding access to the drug that is at the center of legal challenges surrounding abortion rights. The move by CVS Health and Walgreens to sell the abortion pill has been praised by U.S. President Joe Biden, who encouraged other pharmacies to seek certification to offer the medication. Mifepristone, along with a second pill called misoprostol, is used for medical abortions. It is worth noting that more than half of pregnancies in America are terminated by medical abortions. CVS Health will start filling prescriptions for mifepristone in Rhode Island and Massachusetts, while Walgreens will begin dispensing the medication in New York, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, California, and Illinois.
Louisiana recently passed a new abortion pill law that classifies mifepristone and misoprostol as Schedule IV substances, making it a crime to possess them without a prescription or outside of professional medical practice. Pregnant women are exempt from prosecution, but others who help them obtain the drugs are not. Doctors will need a special license to prescribe the drugs, potentially making them hesitant and compromising patient privacy. The law could be challenged in court on the grounds of violating residents' basic rights and conflicting with federal policy. The fight over abortion pills is also unfolding in other states and in the U.S. Supreme Court.
U.S. Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) and U.S. Representative Josh Brecheen (R-OK) have raised concerns about the environmental impact of mifepristone. They sent a letter to the Administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Michael Regan, inquiring if the agency has conducted research on the environmental effects of mifepristone. The increased use and disposal of mifepristone may increase levels of harmful chemicals in the water system. Rubio and Brecheen express concern about the potential negative environmental impact of mifepristone, including its effect on water systems in the United States. They request that the EPA ensure that mifepristone, its active metabolites, and fetal remains do not pose a threat to human health and wildlife. They also ask the EPA to provide a full assessment regarding mifepristone contamination in wastewater and drinking water systems and answer specific questions about the impact of mifepristone on water systems and the negative health effects for humans and aquatic species associated with exposure to mifepristone and fetal remains in water. The letter was signed by U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) and U.S. Representatives Matt Rosendale (R-MD), Alex Mooney (R-WV), Paul Gosar (R-AZ), Gus Bilirakis (R-FL), Barry Moore (R-AL), Debbie Lesko (R-AZ), Jeff Duncan (R-SC), and Jim Banks (R-IN).
In a recent ruling, the US Supreme Court has unanimously decided to preserve access to the abortion pill mifepristone, which was used in nearly two-thirds of all abortions in the United States last year. This is the court's first abortion decision since conservative justices overturned Roe v. Wade two years ago. The justices ruled that opponents lacked the legal right to sue over the FDA's approval of mifepristone and the FDA's subsequent actions to ease access to it. President Joe Biden celebrated the decision but warned that attacks on medication abortion would continue. Women of color advocating for abortion access have pointed out that restricting access to mifepristone could worsen racial health disparities. Justice Brett Kavanaugh's comments in the ruling highlighted what's at stake in the 2024 election and the possibility of tightening access to mifepristone. The ruling referenced another important abortion case the court is considering, Idaho's abortion ban. Anti-abortion groups denounced the decision, while reproductive rights groups expressed relief but stressed that the decision marked a small win in the long-term battle over abortion access. The safety of mifepristone was debated during the case, with rare occasions of dangerous bleeding being a concern. The case began after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, and the appeals court left intact the FDA's initial approval of mifepristone but reversed some conditions for administering the drug. The ruling preserves access to a medication that has been used to end pregnancies through 10 weeks gestation. [1ab024c9]