Here's how medication abortion works with just one drug that's still fully available

Misoprostol is typically used as part of a two-drug protocol for a medication abortion. But it is also safe and effective when used alone, doctors say. Robyn Beck/ hide caption toggle caption Robyn Beck/ Misoprostol is typically used as part of a two-drug protocol for a medication abortion. But it is also safe and effective when used alone, doctors say. Robyn Beck/ A version of this story was originally published on April 10, 2023. It has been updated to reflect news that mifepristone must be prescribed in person as of Friday, May 1, 2026. On Friday, a panel of federal appeals court judges changed rules for a medicine called mifepristone. For more than two decades, mifepristone has been used with another drug, misoprostol, for most medication abortions in the U.S. The Food and Drug Administration, under President Joe Biden, relaxed prescribing rules for mifepristone. That allowed doctors to prescribe the two-drug regimen over the phone or online. The medicines could be mailed or picked up at pharmacies and taken at home to end pregnancy up to 10 weeks of gestation. Friday's court order said that the FDA has to go back to its earlier in-person prescribing rules for mifepristone. The order immediately applies to the whole country. The makers of mifepristone have appealed to the Supreme Court asking for a quick change back to the Biden-era rules, as the case continues. In an earlier case involving mifepristone, the high court did just that. …