Supreme Court Blocks Nationwide Ban on Mifepristone Mail-Order Access

The US Supreme Court has issued an order preserving nationwide access to the abortion drug mifepristone via mail and telehealth, effectively blocking a recent ruling by the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals. The lower court had reinstated an in-person requirement for obtaining the medication, a decision that advocates warned would severely restrict access for millions of patients, particularly in states where abortion is banned. By freezing the lower court's ruling, the Supreme Court ensures that the Food and Drug Administration’s 2021 decision allowing remote prescriptions remains in effect while the legal battle continues. Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito filed dissenting opinions, with Alito citing the Comstock Act, an 1873 law prohibiting the mailing of substances intended for abortion. This development marks a significant continuation of high-profile legal conflicts over reproductive rights following the overturning of Roe v. Wade. Medication abortions currently account for approximately 63 percent of all abortions in the United States, making access to mifepristone critical for reproductive healthcare provision across the country.