Roughly two-thirds of Americans end their pregnancies by taking two abortion medications – misoprostol and mifepristone. Because these safe, effective medications can be prescribed via telehealth, without an in-office visit, they are how most patients terminate pregnancies in states that ban abortion.
Louisiana Lawsuit
Louisiana sued the FDA in October 2025 over the agency’s 2023 decision to remove an in-person dispensing requirement for mifepristone. The state alleges that the rule change was unlawful, purportedly because the FDA failed to weigh the dangers of the drug.
The case has moved quickly. In April 2026, at the FDA’s request, a district court in Louisiana paused the case, halting the litigation. Louisiana appealed to the 5th Circuit, which agreed with the state. On May 1, it reinstated the previous in-person prescription and dispensing requirement for mifepristone – a ruling with nationwide consequences.
FDA Review
The FDA is also reconsidering the regulation of mifepristone, following concerted political pressure from anti-abortion doctors and lawmakers. To justify reviewing a drug with an established 25-year safety record, Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. in May cited a widely debunked study.
Reinstating the in-person requirements on mifepristone would not stop all abortion pills from being mailed. Providers would still be free to prescribe and send misoprostol, which has no such restrictions and can safely terminate a pregnancy on its own.
Original reporting: KTBS 3 (Shreveport) — read the source article.
