Federal Appeals Court Bars Mailing of Abortion Pill Mifepristone, Limits Distribution to Clinics

A three-judge panel of the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals issued a unanimous decision that the abortion pill mifepristone may no longer be mailed. The court ordered that the drug be dispensed only in person at clinics, overturning the FDA's prior regulation that allowed mail delivery.

The ruling was prompted by a challenge from Louisiana, which argued that mailed prescriptions undermine the state's total abortion ban. Judge Kyle Duncan, a Trump appointee, wrote that each FDA-approved abortion "cancels" the state's ban, leading the court to side with the state.

The decision is expected to be appealed to the Supreme Court and represents the most significant shift in U.S. abortion policy since the 2022 overturning of Roe v. Wade. For pharmaceutical companies that manufacture or distribute mifepristone, the order could restrict market access and require changes to supply chains.