A federal appeals court panel has ruled to impose restrictions on the abortion pill mifepristone, preventing its prescription through telemedicine or mail delivery. However, the new ruling will not go into effect until the Supreme Court makes a final decision on the case. This decision follows a lawsuit filed by abortion opponents seeking to block access to abortion pills. The appeals court upheld part of a previous decision by a federal judge in Texas that nullified the FDA's approval of mifepristone 23 years ago. However, the appeals court also kept the FDA's approval in place, as well as the approval of the generic version of the drug used in most medication abortions.

If the appeals court decision is upheld by the Supreme Court, it would reverse recent changes made by the FDA that allowed patients to obtain the pill without in-person visits to a healthcare provider. This would require patients to make three medical visits and would prohibit receiving the pills through the mail. The use of telemedicine and mail delivery has significantly increased access to medication abortion, which is now used in over half of pregnancy terminations in the United States. The Supreme Court is expected to hear the case in the fall, along with another case from Washington state seeking to expand access to the medication.