Supreme Court Blocks Appeals Court Restrictions on Abortion Pill Access

The Supreme Court on Monday temporarily blocked a federal appeals court ruling that would have sharply restricted access to the abortion pill. The order restores patients' ability to obtain the drug through telehealth, mail and pharmacies for now.

Justice Samuel Alito signed the order, which temporarily allows women seeking abortions to get the pill without an in-person doctor's visit. Abortion rights advocates hailed it as a legal victory.

A federal appeals court had imposed the new restrictions on the abortion pill last week. The ruling from the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals would have required the Food and Drug Administration to reimpose tighter limits on mifepristone access while litigation continues.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., responded on X. "It is good to see SCOTUS issue this stay to immediately restore access by mail to mifepristone," he said. "But this fight is just beginning. We will stop at nothing to prevent the Republicans from putting a national abortion ban into effect."

Most abortions in the United States use medications, typically mifepristone combined with misoprostol. Availability of those drugs has reduced the effect of abortion bans in many Republican-led states since the Supreme Court's 2022 decision overturning Roe v. Wade.

Louisiana sued to limit mifepristone access, arguing its availability undermined the state's ban. Manufacturers of mifepristone filed emergency appeals asking the Supreme Court to intervene.

The administrative stay lasts until at least May 11 at 5 p.m. That gives Louisiana time to respond to requests for a longer pause and allows the high court to consider the case on the merits.

Nancy Northup, president and CEO of the Center for Reproductive Rights, issued a statement. "This ruling is not final — keep watching," she wrote. "Getting abortion pills through telehealth has been a lifeline for women since Roe v. Wade was overturned. There is no reason people shouldn’t be able to get mifepristone at a pharmacy or through the mail. Louisiana's attempt to restrict access is political and not based in science or medicine. Americans deserve access to this critical drug that has been FDA approved for 25 years."

Kristan Hawkins, president of Students for Life, criticized the decision. "Pill pushers receive every benefit of the doubt, including today, as Justice Alito allows pill traffickers and big pharma to operate temporarily while arguments are sent to the Court," she said.

After Friday's appeals court ruling, some telehealth groups prescribing abortion pills planned to switch to misoprostol-only regimens. Dr. Angel Foster, founder of The Massachusetts Abortion Access Project, said her group prepared to send misoprostol only on Monday afternoon but switched back.

"Regardless of what happens with this regulatory issue, we and other groups will continue to provide high-quality abortion care to patients in all 50 states," Foster said.