Though the anti-abortion movement notched a historic victory in the overturning of Roe v. Wade, it now faces a landscape where the medications collectively known as “the abortion pill” are increasingly accessible.
Partially, that’s thanks to the Biden administration lifting some of the restrictions on mifepristone, the first medication in the combo, a policy move that supporters of abortion access have clamored for for years. This week, marking Roe’s would-be 50-year anniversary, President Joe Biden signed a memorandum pledging to continue to protect and expand access to the drug, reminding readers that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will continue to allow mifepristone to be prescribed via telehealth and delivered through the mail, and to be dispensed at certified pharmacies.
Since its approval by the FDA, mifepristone has been subject to unusually intensive regulation. It became, and still is, subject to Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategies (REMS), a program meant to control the distribution and use of drugs with significant safety concerns. Drugs under REMS include fentanyl and other opioids.
Major medical organizations have long called for mifepristone’s inclusion in REMS to be lifted entirely, arguing that the restrictions are much more political than they are grounded in science. Misoprostol, the second drug usually prescribed to induce an abortion, is primarily used to treat ulcers and thus is much less stigmatized.
The use of medical versus surgical abortions has been climbing for years, with the CDC reporting a 154 percent increase from 2011 to 2020. It’s easy to understand why: the FDA has approved the pills’ use for up to 10 weeks into a pregnancy, including much of the first trimester when, as of 2020, 93 percent of abortions occur. It’s less invasive than the surgical process, and often cheaper. Now that patients can pick up the medication at certain pharmacies or get them mailed, they can take the pills in the comfort of their own home.
No comments:
Post a Comment