- The FDA is allowing abortion pills to be sent by mail permanently.
- Prescriptions for pills must come from certified prescribers and pharmacies.
- This comes as Roe v. Wade is being threatened in the US Supreme Court.
The US Food and Drug Administration has opted to permanently lift the requirement that patients must pick up abortion pills in person, the agency announced Thursday.
Patients seeking abortion medication will permanently be able to utilize mail-order options so long as prescriptions come from certified pharmacies and prescribers.
The FDA announced the change citing that it seeks "to reduce burden on patient access and the health care delivery system and to ensure the benefits of the product outweigh the risks."
"Medical abortion is a procedure that uses medication to end a pregnancy," according to Mayo Clinic. "A medical abortion doesn't require surgery or anesthesia and can be started either in a medical office or at home with follow-up visits to your doctor. It's safer and most effective during the first trimester of pregnancy."
It uses a two-pill process to end a pregnancy and can be used "until 11 weeks after your last period," per Insider's Julia Naftulin.
The in-person requirement was temporarily lifted from July 13, 2020, until January 12, 2021, due to the pandemic, according to the FDA website.
The announcement comes at a time when Roe V. Wade — the landmark decision that guaranteed the right to abortion access — is being threatened in the US Supreme Court.