The Quickie: FDA Allows People to Fill Prescriptions for Medication Abortion Pills at Pharmacies
For Immediate Release: Jan. 4, 2023
Welcome to “The Quickie” — Planned Parenthood Action Fund’s daily tipsheet on the top health care & reproductive rights stories of the day. You can read “The Quickie'' online here.
Happy New Year! The Quickie returns to its normal scheduled content and recaps the biggest reproductive rights news from the holiday season.
In today’s Quickie: FDA allows prescriptions for medication abortion to be filled at pharmacies, abortion remains legal in AZ through 15 weeks, reproductive rights are a top priority in this MN legislative session, and Planned Parenthood Action Fund president Alexis McGill Johnson is a top woman to watch in politics!
FDA ALLOWS PEOPLE TO FILL PRESCRIPTIONS FOR MEDICATION ABORTION PILLS AT PHARMACIES: Yesterday, the FDA permanently lifted some burdensome requirements placed on medication abortion, allowing mail-order pharmacies and pharmacies with physical locations to be certified to dispense mifepristone, one of two types of medication abortion pills. After an evidence-based review, in 2021, the FDA announced modification to the Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy (REMS) for mifepristone that previously required it to be dispensed only in clinical settings. These changes were finalized yesterday, removing the in-person dispensing requirement and adding a new certification requirement for pharmacies dispensing the drug. The revised REMS clarify that pharmacies may dispense abortion medication in-person or by mail as long as they become certified and follow FDA-guidelines.
“Today’s news is a step in the right direction for health equity,” Alexis McGill Johnson, President of Planned Parenthood Federation of America (PPFA), said. “Being able to access your prescribed medication abortion through the mail or to pick it up in person from a pharmacy like any other prescription is a game changer for people trying to access basic health care. While we’re still fighting against bans and restrictions on medication abortion at the state level, it’s critical that people in states where abortion is legal have access to care. Today’s changes will help millions of people have more access to the care they need, when they need it.”
Read more at Reuters and read PPFA’s full release here.
ABORTION REMAINS LEGAL IN ARIZONA, COURT CLARIFIES: Just before the new year, on December 30, the Arizona State Court of Appeals clarified that the 1864 near-total abortion ban could not be used to prosecute abortion providers, meaning that abortion remains legal in the state through 15 weeks of pregnancy. Planned Parenthood Federation of America, Planned Parenthood Arizona (PPAZ), and other plaintiffs challenged outgoing Attorney General Mark Brnovich's attempt to enforce the Civil War-era ban, arguing that it contradicted Arizona's existing law that allowed abortions through 15 weeks.
“After the overturning of Roe v. Wade, AG Brnovich and his extremist allies took it upon themselves to create chaos, rapidly shift the landscape for abortion access in Arizona, and deny their constituents basic health care,” PPAZ President Brittany Fonteno said in a statement Friday. “Through that chaos, Planned Parenthood Arizona fought for clarity in the face of insurmountable confusion. Today brings us one step closer to fundamental abortion rights for all Arizonans.”
Read more at the New York Times and AP. View PPFA and PPAZ’s full release here.
CODIFYING REPRODUCTIVE RIGHTS TOP LEGISLATIVE PRIORITY IN MINNESOTA: Yesterday, Minnesota’s 2023 legislative session began with the Protect Reproductive Options Act (PRO Act) as the first bill introduced in the new session. The PRO Act would codify the right to abortion, birth control, and fertility treatments into law. Since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, Planned Parenthood North Central States (PPNCS) has seen a 13% increase in patients coming from out of the region for abortion care, making Minnesota a critical access point in the upper Midwest.
“Codifying our rights into law is critical right now,” said Dr. Sarah Traxler, PPNCS Chief Medical Officer. “Minnesota has become an island of abortion access in the upper Midwest, and we must protect the rights of Minnesotans to make their own reproductive health care decisions. The PRO Act gives Minnesotans control over their reproductive rights, which means control over their bodies and futures.”
With reproductive rights championing controlling both legislative houses and the governorship in Minnesota, the PRO Act is more likely to become law.
“First, we have to enshrine reproductive rights into state law,” Dr. Traxler said. “We have to protect reproductive rights. Then we will expand sexual and reproductive health care in Minnesota. We have the opportunity to remain the regional leader of sexual and reproductive health care, and it’s imperative that we do.”
Read more from Planned Parenthood Minnesota Advocates.
PPAF PRESIDENT A “WOMAN TO WATCH” IN POLITICS: Lauren Leader Chivee, columnist for MSNBC, named Planned Parenthood Action Fund President Alexis McGill Johnson on her list of five women who will help chart the course of politics ahead of 2024. Alexis was mentioned alongside Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, former Wyoming Congresswoman Liz Cheney, Olivia Julianna of Gen-Z for Change, and Massachusetts Rep. Katherine Clark. She noted that after galvanizing voters for midterm elections, Alexis and other abortion rights activists will continue to fight abortion bans and restrictions in states across the country and shape the future of access.