Mifepristone is part of a two-drug abortion regimen approved by the FDA|Robin Marty|CC BY 2.0
The Supreme Court ruled that the abortion pill mifepristone can continue to be prescribed through telehealth and delivered by mail without requiring an in-person doctor’s appointment.
The decision temporarily blocks a May 1 decision by the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals that could have sharply restricted access nationwide.
The case marked a setback for Louisiana officials, who challenged FDA rules introduced during the Biden administration that expanded access to mifepristone by allowing mail delivery, including to patients in states with strict abortion bans.
Conservative Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito dissented, arguing that the policy weakens state abortion laws.
Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill criticized the decision and said the state would continue its legal fight. Officials estimate that as many as 1,000 abortions per month occur in the state through mailed abortion pills despite its near-total abortion ban.
Abortion-rights groups welcomed the ruling, saying it protects access to care for thousands of women.
Mifepristone, part of a two-drug abortion regimen approved by the Food and Drug Administration, is widely used across the United States, particularly in states with abortion restrictions.
The FDA permanently allowed the drug to be mailed in 2023 after temporarily expanding access during the COVID-19 pandemic.