Medication abortion (MA)—a regimen of two medications, mifepristone and misoprostol—is very safe and effective. In the United States (US), Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulations have long required that mifepristone only be dispensed in person at healthcare facilities, not at pharmacies. There is increasing interest in removing this restriction on mifepristone, which would enable pharmacists to dispense the drug directly to patients with a prescription from their clinician.
This brief reviews ANSIRH's research examining the effectiveness, acceptability, and feasibility of pharmacist dispensing of medication abortion. The research supports calls by medical associations and clinicians for the FDA to permanently remove the in-person dispensing requirement for mifepristone.