Pharmaceutical companies, CVS and Walgreens, are applying for licenses to sell prescribed abortion medication, but the recent decision by the FDA to allow for the sales of abortion pills across the country won’t affect Florida pharmacies.
Even though the FDA approved commercial sales of mifepristone, availability depends on state laws. Florida pharmacies will not be allowed to carry or sell the drug due to laws stating that only a medical provider can give patients abortion medication.
Florida's limited access further stigmatizes abortion, said Laura Goodhue, the Florida Planned Parenthood executive director.
“I mean, there has been no other really like invention or development in the modern world, besides your birth control that has helped women advance in their careers and in their education, other than birth control and the abortion care than the power to control their own destinies,” she said.
Florida women can still receive abortion medication from clinic physicians after performing two in-person clinic visits.
Florida's exclusion of mifepristone is a set back to those with low insurance as it would have widened availability to populations who do not have easy access to effective birth control, reduce costs, reduce travel time and help reduce stigma, said Amy Weintraub the reproductive rights program director of Progress Florida.
“If they've experienced, an unintended pregnancy, and they want to end it, they could get a prescription from their doctor and hop over to CBS just the way they would if they were going to get an antibiotic, or any other drug. And so you can only imagine what a game changer that would be,” she said.
Weintraub says Progress Florida the group is preparing to take action should the state move to further restrict access to abortions.
