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'Throwing Women Under the Bus': FDA Lets Pharmacies Bypass Medical Oversight to Sell Risky Abortion Pills

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Retail pharmacies, including local drugstores and major chains, are now able to offer abortion pills if they agree to new rule changes made Tuesday by the Food and Drug Administration.

The move broadens the availability of the abortion pill as many states move to restrict abortion after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, last June. 

The FDA has expanded on who can provide mifepristone, a pill used in the two-drug chemical abortion. Now pharmacies, like CVS or Walgreens, will only have to apply for certification with the FDA to distribute the drug, and then the pharmacy will be able to dispense the pill directly to patients.

A recent study reveals more than half of recent abortions in the U.S. were carried out with abortion pills.

But pro-life advocates are warning the move is not only dangerous to pre-born children, but to the women taking the pill. 

"Access to chemical abortion without proper medical oversight runs contrary to science and is not in the best interest of women's health," tweeted March for Life.

"The abortion industry does not empower women. It profits from violence committed against mothers and their unborn children," it added. 

Former Planned Parenthood director turned pro-life advocate, Abby Johnson told CBN News in a statement that this is another means for abortion lobbyists to increase their bottom line since Roe v. Wade was overturned. She also says it's very risky to provide serious drugs without any real medical oversight.

"The thing is, it almost doesn't even matter that the FDA is allowing the abortion pill to be more widely available because the women aren't seeing a doctor either way. They aren't having ultrasounds and some aren't even verifying they are pregnant. The people dispensing the drugs have no idea who [are] these women are or their medical history," she explained. 

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Johnson adds, "While the abortion lobby will say this move is a huge step forward for women, it's only a step forward for them and for those who manufacture the abortion pills because it means more money for them while throwing women under the bus. They don't care about the women who are ordering the pills or what will happen to them when they lie on their bathroom floors and think they are dying. That's exactly what happened to me and it still haunts me to this day. No woman should have to go through that."

The Biden administration is moving on multiple fronts to allow greater access to the pills. 

This week, the Justice Department made clear the postal service can deliver the pills—even in states that ban them.

Its reason?

The pills can also be used to manage miscarriages, so they can't be sure they'll be used for abortions.

The pro-life group, Susan B. Anthony List, recommends that states watch for women in emergency rooms, after taking the pills and begin to track their complications.

Last year, the Biden administration rolled back the rule that women must pick up abortion pills in person at a medical office.

They're also calling on state pharmacy boards to oversee pharmacies that get approved to dispense the drugs.

This week's decisions pave the way for women to get a prescription via telehealth and then receive the pills in the mail, or from a pharmacy.

"The Biden Administration is making dangerous chemical abortion pills attainable at every corner as it lowers the medical standards for protecting women," said Kristan Hawkins, president of Students for Life for America.

"Making Chemical Abortion Pills accessible at your local pharmacy is certainly not the product of the 'safe, legal, and rare' lie we were fed as we fought for the reversal of Roe. The objective of this Administration has always been increased access to dangerous drugs," she added. 

Still, the fight is far from over. 

Legal experts predict court battles over access will rage for years.

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About The Author

Talia
Wise

Talia Wise has served as a multi-media producer for CBNNews.com, CBN Newswatch, The Prayer Link, and CBN News social media outlets. Prior to joining CBN News she worked for Fox Sports Florida producing and reporting. Talia earned a master’s degree in journalism from Regent University and a bachelor's degree from the University of Virginia.