Abortion pill by mail allowed for at least 3 more days, the Supreme Court says

Abortion pill by mail allowed for at least 3 more days, the Supreme Court says May 11, 20265:14 PM ET Selena Simmons-Duffin Mifepristone, sold under the brand name Mifeprex by Danco Laboratories, is one of two medicines used in the preferred method of medication abortion and for miscarriage management. The company GenBioPro makes a generic version of the drug. Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images hide caption toggle caption Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images The Supreme Court on Monday gave itself more time to consider a national ban on telemedicine access to the abortion pill mifepristone. Justice Samuel Alito extended an earlier order he issued by three more days, so rules for prescribing mifepristone online or through the mail remain in effect through Thursday at a minimum. The case at issue The tumult over the future of telemedicine access to mifipristone started on May 1 with a ruling from the U.S. 5th Circuit Court of Appeals. That ruling re-instituted prescribing rules from before the pandemic that required patients to receive mifepristone in person in a doctor's office or clinic. Sponsor Message The Food and Drug Administration determined that the rule was medically unnecessary in 2021. The state of Louisiana sued last fall, arguing that telemedicine access undermines the state's abortion ban. What is telemedicine abortion? The telemedicine abortion process starts with a patient connecting with a healthcare provider on the phone or online. If the patient is eligible, that provider can prescribe two medications — mifepristone and another pill called misoprostol. Patients can pick up the medicine at a local pharmacy, or providers can mail the drugs to a patient's home. That access is a big part of the reason why the number of abortions nationally has actually increased since the Supreme Court overturned the constitutional right to abortion in 2022. Now, most abortions in the U.S. use this combination of medications, and one quarter happen via telemedicine. After the 5th Cir...