Last year, anti-abortion advocates won a historic Supreme Court win, but the argument over one of America’s most polarizing topics is far from finished, with attention now shifting to over-the-counter abortion pills.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved mifepristone as the first step in a two-drug procedure to terminate early pregnancies in 2000.
The FDA altered its laws in January to allow retail pharmacists to dispense the medicine; previously, only a few pharmacies, specialized clinics, and doctors could. While abortion pills are now the most popular technique, the legislative change might make it easier for millions of women to acquire one.
According to US officials, pharmacies will have to apply to be approved to dispense the medicine and meet specific safety and privacy requirements.
The expansion has coincided with several legal and political fights in numerous jurisdictions regarding the future of mifepristone.
The back and forth may affect access to medicine for millions of women in the United States.
