The drug, mifepristone, is approved for use in combination with another medication, misoprostol, to terminate pregnancies up to 10 weeks and is sometimes used to treat women experiencing miscarriages. Today, about 40% of patients seeking abortions use pills rather than having a surgical procedure.
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Before the coronavirus pandemic, doctors could prescribe the pills only to patients who were able to pick them up in person. But in response to Covid-19, the Biden administration suspended that requirement, allowing them to be mailed to patients instead. The decision by the FDA on Thursday makes that change permanent.
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Major medical groups including the American Medical Association argue that since mifepristone was approved by the Food and Drug Administration in 2000, it has built up a strong safety record. Nonetheless, mifepristone is subject to layers of restrictions beyond those applied to typical prescription drugs.