Some states are stockpiling abortion pills after a ruling last week by a federal judge threw into uncertainty the decadeslong government approval of the key abortion drug mifepristone.
A Texas judge on Friday ordered the FDA to halt its approval of mifepristone. But minutes later, a federal judge in Washington ordered the agency not to make any changes that would restrict mifepristone access in states included in a separate lawsuit.
The Justice Department appealed the Texas ruling on Monday, and for the time being, mifepristone remains available.
But with the future of the drug’s FDA approval thrown into question, states including New York, Massachusetts, California and Washington are rushing to stockpile abortion pills.
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Massachusetts plans to buy 15,000 mifepristone doses
Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey announced Monday a plan to buy 15,000 doses of mifepristone in case the drug is banned nationwide.
“We are going to make sure we have enough mifepristone to cover women in the state, for as long as they need,” she said at a news conference at the Massachusetts statehouse that included Democratic lawmakers like Sen. Elizabeth Warren.
The doses are expected to be enough to last the state more than a year and should arrive this week, Healey said. The administration is also dedicating $1 million to help abortion providers pay for additional doses.
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California builds misoprostol stockpiles
California Gov. Gavin Newsom announced Monday the state secured an emergency stockpile of up to 2 million misoprostol pills.
In the U.S., misoprostol is typically used alongside mifepristone in a two-step regimen for medication abortion care. The pill has also been used on its own for years for abortions around the world, but studies show it is less effective than the two-step regimen.
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Abortion providers are rushing to prepare for misoprostol-only abortions if need be. Medical organizations, including the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and the World Health Organization, say misoprostol-only abortions are a safe alternative when mifepristone isn’t available.
More than 250,000 misoprostol pills have already arrived in California, and the state negotiated the ability to buy up to 2 million misoprostol pills as needed, Newsom said. He said he has also shared the terms of this purchase agreement with all states in the Reproductive Freedom Alliance, a coalition meant to share strategies to protect abortion access.
“We will not cave to extremists who are trying to outlaw these critical abortion services,” Newsom said.
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New York to purchase 150,000 misoprostol doses
New York’s Department of Health will begin purchasing 150,000 doses of misoprostol, Gov. Kathy Hochul announced Tuesday. If mifepristone is pulled off the market, Hochul said the state will provide $20 million to providers to support access to other methods of care.
“This isn’t just an attack on abortion, this is an attack on democracy,” the Democratic governor said, adding that she wouldn’t let “one extremist judge turn back the clock” on reproductive care.
Washington state receives shipment of 30,000 mifepristone doses
In Washington state, Gov. Jay Inslee announced last week the purchase of 30,000 doses of the generic version of mifepristone. The shipment, expected to be enough to last the state three years, arrived in March and cost about $1.28 million.
“After we announced our actions last week to protect access to mifepristone, it’s heartening to see other states doing the same,” Inslee said Monday on Twitter. “To be clear: no matter the outcome of the TX case, WA’s laws ensure we will be able to sell and distribute this medication.”
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Contributing: The Associated Press
Contact Christine Fernando at cfernando@usatoday.com or follow her on Twitter at @christinetfern.