A United States appeals court has temporarily halted the delivery of abortion medication by mail, marking a significant development in the country’s ongoing legal battles over reproductive rights.
The ruling, issued on Friday by a three-judge panel of the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals, restricts access to mifepristone, a drug widely used in abortion procedures, requiring that it be obtained in person at authorised health facilities.
The decision followed a lawsuit filed by the state of Louisiana against the Food and Drug Administration, challenging existing regulations governing the distribution of the drug.
With the order, women seeking the medication across the United States will no longer be able to receive it via mail or pharmacy delivery, pending further legal proceedings.
Danco Laboratories, one of the companies authorised to distribute the drug, has moved to challenge the ruling, requesting a temporary pause to allow it file an emergency appeal before the US Supreme Court.
The firm described the court’s decision as unprecedented, warning that it could trigger confusion for patients and disrupt established healthcare processes.
The appeals court ruling overturned an earlier decision that permitted continued mail distribution of the medication while the FDA reviewed its regulatory framework.
Mifepristone, approved by the FDA in 2000, is commonly used alongside another drug to terminate early pregnancies and is also prescribed in the management of miscarriages.
Reacting to the decision, Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill hailed the ruling as a major victory, aligning it with broader efforts to tighten abortion regulations.
However, reproductive rights advocates criticised the move, arguing that it would make access to essential healthcare more difficult and costly for many women.
Legal experts note that the dispute is likely to escalate to the US Supreme Court, as stakeholders on both sides of the debate seek a definitive resolution on the future of abortion medication access in the country.