NEW ORLEANS (FN), A federal appeals court has temporarily barred the mailing of the abortion pill mifepristone, rolling back a key Biden-era policy that expanded access to medication abortion through telemedicine.
The Fifth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals issued the ruling Friday, suspending Food and Drug Administration regulations that allowed patients to receive the drug by mail after online consultations. The decision requires in-person visits to clinics nationwide, even in states where abortion remains legal.
Mifepristone, first approved in 2000, is used in combination with misoprostol and accounts for more than half of all abortions in the United States. The FDA eased restrictions during the COVID-19 pandemic, later formalizing mail delivery in 2023. Louisiana officials challenged the policy, arguing the agency acted without sufficient safety review.
Attorney General Liz Murrill of Louisiana hailed the ruling as a “victory for life,” saying mail-order pills undermined state abortion bans. Reproductive rights groups condemned the decision, warning it will disproportionately affect rural residents, people with disabilities, and those facing intimate partner violence.
“This is not about science, it’s about politics,” the Center for Reproductive Rights said in a statement. The American Civil Liberties Union called the ruling “shameless,” adding that it strips away critical access for vulnerable communities.
Danco Laboratories, the distributor of mifepristone, has asked the court for a one-week pause to appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court. The FDA is continuing its safety review, and conflicting rulings in other jurisdictions could push the case toward the nation’s highest court.
The decision intensifies the post-Dobbs debate over abortion access, with states like Louisiana pressing for stricter enforcement while advocacy groups fight to preserve telemedicine options.
