Pharmacists Play Key Role in Expanding Access to Medication Abortion

Pharmacists are beginning to play a larger role in medication abortion care. Originally, only clinics, hospitals, and certain medical offices were allowed to dispense mifepristone, a key medication used in abortion. Over time, the rules changed, and pharmacists can now become certified to dispense this medication directly from the pharmacy. This shift helps expand access, especially for people in rural areas who may otherwise have to travel long distances to get care.

By dispensing mifepristone and counseling patients on how to take it correctly, pharmacists can help reduce barriers to care and support patients earlier in pregnancy. While some restrictions still exist in certain states, pharmacists are now recognized as important healthcare providers in abortion care. Their ability to provide this medication safely and efficiently helps make care more accessible and timely for many people, especially those with limited options for in-person visits to abortion providers.

Drug Topics recently sat down with Nicole Cieri-Hutcherson, PharmD, BCPS, MSCP, FCCP, clinical associate professor at University at Buffalo, to discuss how the role of the pharmacist has evolved in the provision of medication abortion over the past decade and how pharmacist involvement in medication abortion can improve equity in reproductive healthcare access.

“Pharmacist dispensing of mifepristone would really help to remove geographic, and in some cases financial, obstacles that are significant, especially for patients in those rural areas,” Cieri-Hutcherson said. “Almost a third of patients that are seeking abortion care have to travel more than 100 miles for care. Every day that goes by past the Dobbs decision in 2022, that distance and number increases.”