ACOG Statement on Supreme Court Order in Louisiana v. FDA

Washington, D.C.-The following is a statement from Camille A. Clare, MD, MPH, CPE, president of the American College of Obstetricians & Gynecologists (ACOG):

"Today's Supreme Court decision ensures that mifepristone will remain available through telehealth for now. Mifepristone is an essential medication in evidence-based reproductive health care and must remain available to women across the country.

"Though today's decision means that mifepristone remains available through telehealth for now, this fight is not over.

"The chaos and confusion wrought by competing decisions and the revocation and restoration of access on an almost daily basis do real harm to patients and to the clinicians who care for them.

"Mifepristone is one of the safest and most well-studied drugs on the market. The FDA removed the in-person dispensing requirement after careful evaluation of the data because mifepristone is safe and effective even when distributed by mail. Eliminating the unnecessary in-person dispensing restriction has been vital for patients who face barriers to attending in-person appointments-particularly those from vulnerable populations with limited access to care.

"Mifepristone has long been the subject of undue overregulation and restriction, and the people for whom ACOG's members care have suffered the consequences. Whether it's for someone who is experiencing a pregnancy loss and could have their pain and suffering lessened, someone in a rural community whose physician is a two-hour drive away, or someone who needs an abortion but faces one of many all-too-frequent barriers to care, mifepristone access matters.

"Today we are relieved that, the court made a decision that for now will help protect patients' health. ACOG remains steadfast in and dedicated to protecting patient access to essential reproductive health care."