Mail-order dominates US abortion pill dispensing
Source: Reuters
April 13, 2026 12:55 PM EDT Updated 5 hours ago
WASHINGTON, April 13 (Reuters) - U.S. pharmacies are largely filling prescriptions for the abortion pill mifepristone via mail-order in states permitting telehealth access to the medication, despite a 2023 FDA decision allowing retail pharmacies to dispense the drug, according to a study published on Monday.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration in 2023 authorized retail pharmacies to provide mifepristone, the first of two pills used in medication abortion, during the first 10 weeks of pregnancy. This followed a prior rule change permitting the drug to be shipped by mail without in-person dispensing requirements.
Research from the University of Southern California published in the medical journal JAMA, showed that since January 2023, pharmacies have filled about 2,700 mifepristone prescriptions monthly. In the 27 states and the District of Columbia where telehealth abortion is allowed, fewer than 2% of those prescriptions were filled at physical retail pharmacies. In 11 states where abortion is legal but telehealth access is restricted, some 61% of prescriptions were filled at in-store pharmacies, the study found.
The findings underscore the significance of mail-order dispensing for mifepristone after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned the constitutional right to abortion in 2022, allowing states to ban or restrict the procedure. Researchers also noted substantial access disparities even in states with relatively robust abortion protections. "It's striking how few retail pharmacies, particularly chains, are dispensing mifepristone where abortion is legal and telehealth is permitted," said Dima Qato, the study's lead author and senior scholar at the University of Southern California's Schaeffer Institute.
Read more: https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/mail-order-dominates-us-abortion-pill-dispensing-2026-04-13/
Link to JAMA REPORT (subscription) - Changes in Mifepristone Use at Pharmacies After Removal of the FDA In-Person Dispensing Requirement
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I hope the christo-fascists lose sleep over it. I'll sleep soundly. 
