A literature review by Ipas and ANSIRH identifies the evidence needed to determine whether women can safely access nonprescription medication abortion and also suggests that the drugs meet many of the standards of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for over-the-counter sale.
The study, published in BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, sought to answer the question: Would the mifepristone-misoprostol regimen for medication abortion at 10 weeks gestation and earlier meet the FDA’s regulatory criteria for over-the-counter approval, and if not, what are the present research gaps? The researchers find that, while additional research is needed, the preliminary evidence is encouraging.
Visit BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology for more information on this study.
Read Daniel Grossman's op-ed titled, "Should over-the-counter medical abortion be available?" inThe Guardian.