(Washington, DC) – Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), issued the following statement on the policy change announced by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on Tuesday, which, for the first time, allows retail pharmacies across the country to dispense mifepristone, or medication abortion, to patients.
“In the midst of the reproductive health care crisis Republicans have caused, this is an especially important step that will make it easier for patients to get abortion care through medication abortion. We know medication abortion is safe, effective, and a more important option for patients than ever, and I am glad to see the experts at FDA are lifting unnecessary restrictions so that more women can get the care they need at their local pharmacy. Patients shouldn’t be forced to jump through unnecessary extra hoops, take time off work, travel far away, or face harassment just to fill a prescription that is safe to take from home—it really is that simple.
“But the fact remains that because of Republicans’ extreme policies, tens of millions of women are being denied basic abortion care—including access to medication abortion—and this important step won’t change that unacceptable reality for women living in states that have banned abortion. I’ll say it a million times more: it is shameful that women are being forced to stay pregnant because of Republicans’ abortion bans, and I won’t stop fighting until we restore every single woman’s right to reproductive care.”
Mifepristone was approved by the FDA over 20 years ago—and significant scientific evidence, research, and clinical experience has affirmed that it is safe and effective. On Tuesday, the FDA formally removed a burdensome requirement that prevented mifepristone from being dispensed at retail pharmacies after the agency announced it was moving to do so in late 2021.
Senator Murray has led the fight in Congress to protect Americans’ reproductive rights and has fought to protect and expand patients’ ability to get medication abortion, as well. She pushed to expand access to mifepristone as COVID-19 first spread across the U.S. and blocked Republicans’ attempts to curb access to it in the middle of the pandemic. Senator Murray applauded FDA’s previous announcement that it would remove burdensome barriers to this medication and has long underscored that access to medications like mifepristone, which has a strong track record of safety and effectiveness, should be based on science, not politics. Senator Murray has always fought to make reproductive health care more accessible and affordable for women everywhere–beating back countless Republican attempts to defund Planned Parenthood and other family planning services over the course of her career, and she is widely credited with successfully pushing the Bush administration to follow the science and make Plan B available over the counter.
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