Supreme Court gives abortion pill mifepristone a 1-week reprieve from a major change

Health Supreme Court gives abortion pill mifepristone a 1-week reprieve from a major change May 4, 202612:15 PM ET By  NPR Staff A woman dressed as a mifepristone pill is at rally outside the US Supreme Court on April 2, 2025. Drew Angerer/AFP via Getty Images hide caption toggle caption Drew Angerer/AFP via Getty Images Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito on Monday put a one-week hold on major changes to how the abortion pill mifepristone can be prescribed. Health Court restricts abortion access across the US by blocking the mailing of mifepristone On Friday, an appeals court had said the Food and Drug Administration needed to revert to rules that the pills, part of a two-drug regimen for medication abortion, must be prescribed only in-person. The change was effective immediately for the whole country. The appeals court order meant that mifepristone could not be prescribed via telehealth or sent through the mail; Alito's order reverses that for one week. Sponsor Message Treatments Here's how medication abortion works with just one drug that's still fully available Alito responded to a request for emergency relief filed by the two companies that make mifepristone. He blocked the appeals court's decision from going into affect until next Monday, May 11, at 5 p.m. Alito also asked all the parties in the ongoing lawsuit brought by the state of Louisiana to file briefs by Thursday, May 7, at 5 pm. Abortion rights mifepristone Facebook Flipboard Email