Supreme Court pauses restrictions, keeps abortion pill mifepristone available through pharmacies and mail

The Supreme Court issued an order that maintains current access to the abortion medication mifepristone while it reviews a case challenging FDA prescribing rules.

The order, signed by Justice Samuel Alito, means women can continue to obtain the pill from pharmacies or by mail without needing an in-person doctor visit, and it blocks a lower-court ruling that would have limited such distribution.

The case originates from a Louisiana lawsuit seeking to roll back the FDA’s guidelines, arguing the rules conflict with the state’s abortion ban. The Court’s temporary decision comes as it weighs whether to allow the appealed restrictions to take effect.