Appeals court wants limits on abortion pill access, sending case to Supreme Court
(Worthy News) – The abortion drug mifepristone should be more tightly regulated than it is now, with limits on the drug at seven weeks of gestation and requirements that patients obtain the pill in person instead of through the mail, a federal appeals court ruled Wednesday.
The decision by the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals won’t have an immediate impact on access to the drug, at least for now. But the ruling paves the way for the case to land before the U.S. Supreme Court in coming months as expected, putting the hotly contested question of abortion rights before the high court ahead of the 2024 election.
At issue is the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s oversight of abortion medication, which has grown in popularity in recent years and is now used in more than half of all abortions. Under FDA rules, the brand name drug MIfeprex by Danco Laboratories and its generic counterpart by GenBioPro can be used up to 10 weeks of gestation and provided via mail after a telehealth appointment so long as the clinician follows certain rules. [ Source: ABC News (Read More…) ]