US Supreme Court restores access to abortion pill mifepristone

The US Supreme Court has temporarily restored broad access to the abortion pill mifepristone, blocking a lower-court ruling that would have tightened how the drug can be obtained.

The order allows women seeking abortions to continue getting the pill at pharmacies or by mail, without an in-person visit to a doctor.

The restrictions had been imposed by a federal appeal court last week.

The decision preserves a system that has been in place for several years and avoids an immediate change to how the medication is dispensed.

Mifepristone is usually used with misoprostol, and medication abortions account for most abortions in the US.

The ruling matters because access to the drug has become a central part of the wider legal fight over abortion since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v Wade in 2022.

That decision allowed Republican-led states to enforce bans or tighter limits.

Louisiana has sued to restrict access to mifepristone, arguing that its availability undermines the state's abortion ban.

The case is part of a broader challenge to federal rules on the drug.

The order was signed by Justice Samuel Alito.

It temporarily blocks the lower-court requirement that patients visit a health care provider in person to obtain mifepristone.

The immediate effect is to keep pharmacies and mail delivery available while the legal dispute continues.

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