US Bishops Respond to Supreme Court's Ruling on Abortion Drugs "Today’s Court ruling on procedural grounds will continue to put the health of women and girls at risk."
The United States Supreme Court has made it easier to obtain chemical abortion drugs by changing the regulations. This will continue to put the “health of women and girls at risk,” according to the U.S. Catholic bishops' conference. On the June 13, a 9-0 decision was made in the FDA v. Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine case, which sought ease access to mifepristone, one of the two drugs used in medication abortions. The Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) wrote:
By eliminating necessary safeguards for pregnant girls and women who undergo the dangerous mifepristone abortion drug regimen, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration failed to abide by its legal obligations to protect the health, safety, and welfare of girls and women.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved a new drug application for mifepristone tablets marketed under the brand name Mifeprex, in 2000, for use in performing abortions for up to seven weeks.
So that Mifeprex would be used safely and effectively, the FDA enforced additional restrictions on the drug’s use and distribution, for example requiring doctors to prescribe or to supervise prescriptions, and requiring patients to have three in-person visits with the doctor to receive the drug. However, in 2021, the FDA released that it would no longer enforce the initial in-person visit requirement. In response, four pro-life medical associations and many individual doctors moved for a preliminary injunction so that the FDB would be required either to rescind approval of mifepristone or to rescind FDA’s 2016 and 2021 regulatory actions. The District Court sided with the plaintiffs resulting in the ordering of mifepristone off the market. The FDA appealed, which then led to the Supreme Court. The SCOTUS Court ruled that the doctors and medical organizations who sued lacked standing in the case.
So that Mifeprex would be used safely and effectively, the FDA enforced additional restrictions on the drug’s use and distribution, for example requiring doctors to prescribe or to supervise prescriptions, and requiring patients to have three in-person visits with the doctor to receive the drug. However, in 2021, the FDA released that it would no longer enforce the initial in-person visit requirement. In response, four pro-life medical associations and many individual doctors moved for a preliminary injunction so that the FDB would be required either to rescind approval of mifepristone or to rescind FDA’s 2016 and 2021 regulatory actions. The District Court sided with the plaintiffs resulting in the ordering of mifepristone off the market. The FDA appealed, which then led to the Supreme Court. The SCOTUS Court ruled that the doctors and medical organizations who sued lacked standing in the case.
FULL TEXT Statement of USCCB on Supreme Court’s Decision on Abortion Pill
June 13, 2024
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - In response to the decision by the Supreme Court of the United States today on FDA v. Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) offered the following statement from its spokesperson, Chieko Noguchi, executive director of public affairs.
“Today’s Court ruling on procedural grounds will continue to put the health of women and girls at risk. As the USCCB’s pro-life chairman has said, abortion is not health care. The Church will continue to advocate for women’s health and safety, and to lovingly serve mothers in need.”
June 13, 2024
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - In response to the decision by the Supreme Court of the United States today on FDA v. Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) offered the following statement from its spokesperson, Chieko Noguchi, executive director of public affairs.
“Today’s Court ruling on procedural grounds will continue to put the health of women and girls at risk. As the USCCB’s pro-life chairman has said, abortion is not health care. The Church will continue to advocate for women’s health and safety, and to lovingly serve mothers in need.”
Sources: USCCB + CruxNow + ADF
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