The Supreme Court has temporarily blocked a federal appeals court ruling that would have restricted access to abortion pills by mail. The justices issued an administrative stay on Monday, allowing mifepristone to continue being prescribed through telemedicine and sent via mail until May 11. This decision comes after the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans ruled on May 1 to immediately roll back telemedicine access to mifepristone nationwide. The appeals court's ruling revived an earlier regulation requiring women to obtain the pills in person from a doctor.
Two drugmakers, Danco Laboratories and GenBioPro, appealed the decision to the Supreme Court, arguing that mifepristone has been shown to be safe and effective for ending early pregnancies. The FDA approved the drug in 2000, and during the COVID-19 pandemic, the agency allowed mifepristone to be dispensed at local pharmacies or through the mail. This policy was made official in 2023.
Louisiana's state attorneys have urged the Supreme Court to uphold the appeals court ruling, blaming former President Biden for undermining the state's strict bans on abortion and the Trump administration for slow-walking a study on federal regulations. The justices are expected to decide soon on emergency appeals filed by the drugmakers, focusing on whether Louisiana had standing to sue over the federal drug regulations and whether judges have the authority to overrule the FDA.
More than 100 Republican lawmakers have urged the Supreme Court to reinstate abortion pill restrictions, citing concerns about coercion and safety risks. They argue that the Biden-era policy, which removed the in-person requirement for obtaining mifepristone, increases the risk of coercion. The lawmakers point to several alleged cases, including one where a woman claimed her boyfriend coerced her into taking the drug.
The FDA has agreed to review the safety record of mifepristone in response to antiabortion advocates. The drug accounts for about one-quarter of abortions in the U.S., and its use has grown since the Supreme Court overturned the constitutional right to abortion in the Dobbs decision. The most recent estimate from the Guttmacher Institute found that there were 1.1 million abortions in the U.S. in 2025.