1、CRS Legal Sidebar Prepared for Members and Committees of Congress Legal SidebarLegal Sidebari i Medication Abortion: A Changing Legal Landscape March 9, 2022 As the Supreme Court considers the constitutionality of abortion prohibitions before fetal viability in Dobbs v. Jackson Womens Health Organiz
2、ation, there have been recent legal developments related to medication abortion, a pregnancy termination method involving the use of prescription drugs, rather than surgery. Recent attention has centered on the availability of these drugs through telehealth, particularly for pregnant individuals res
3、iding in areas with few or no abortion providers. Historically, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) imposed distribution restrictions on mifepristone (brand name Mifeprex), requiring the drug to be dispensed in specified types of in-person health care settings. In December 2021, however, FDA anno
4、unced it would lift the in-person dispensing requirements, allowing mifepristone to be prescribed via telehealth and sent to patients through the mail under certain conditions. Several states have taken steps to regulate access to medication abortion, leading to questions about the interplay between
