Pro-Life Groups Urge FDA to Restore Abortion Pill Safeguards
A coalition of 50 leading pro-life groups have penned a joint letter urging Dr. Heidi Overton, nominee for commissioner of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), to commit to restoring safeguards on the abortion pill that the Biden administration removed.
The letter argues relaxing safety restrictions on mifepristone, like removing the in-person dispensing requirement, permitting telehealth prescriptions, and allowing it to be sent through the mail and across state lines, poses significant safety risks to women who take the drug.
Mifepristone is the first drug in a two-drug regimen commonly referred to as the abortion pill.
The signatories include the leaders of Advancing American Freedom, Family Policy Alliance, Them Before Us, Students for Life of America, Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission, Family Research Council, Live Action, Liberty Counsel and others.
“We, the undersigned organizations and individuals, call on FDA Commissioner nominee Dr. Heidi Overton to commit to restoring the safeguards governing mifepristone that existed before the Biden administration while the FDA completes its ongoing review of the drug,” the letter states.
The letter gave three reasons the FDA’s “extremely permissive policy” regarding mifepristone should be reversed. These include:
- Serious concerns about the safety of the drug.
- The permissiveness of the current policy increases the risk of abuse, especially by men who seek to force women to have abortions without their consent or knowledge.
- Mail-order abortion is undermining state laws enacted to protect unborn life and women.
“American mothers and babies need an FDA that defends them both in word and deed,” the letter states.
The document was released ahead of Dr. Overton’s confirmation hearing before the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee on Thursday. If confirmed, she will take over the reins at the FDA from Acting Commissioner Kyle Diamantas, who succeeded former Commissioner Marty Makary.
Dr. Overton, who President Donald J. Trump nominated to lead the FDA in August, is widely seen as pro-life. However, she said she couldn’t make a firm commitment regarding mifepristone in Thursday’s hearing.
“I can’t prejudge the determination of the safety review that’s currently ongoing,” Overton told Sen. Tammy Baldwin, after the senator inquired about the abortion pill’s safety.
Likewise, Dr. Overton told Sen. Josh Hawley that a safety review “is ongoing and very important. Women’s health and women’s safety is a critical piece of this.”
Last year, the FDA launched a study into mifepristone’s safety, which was reportedly set to conclude by the end of this month.
The FDA’s investigation came after the Ethics and Public Policy Center (EPPC) released a study finding nearly 11% of all women who abort their children with mifepristone suffer from serious health complications, including sepsis, infection or hemorrhaging.
If the FDA finds anything remotely similar to what the EPPC found, it must immediately crack down on the drug.
The agency should restore mifepristone’s safety guardrails by reinstating the in-person dispensing requirement, prohibiting the pill from being sent through the mail, and eliminating the pharmacy certification process which permits retail pharmacies like Walgreens and CVS to sell the drug.
The letter concluded, “We call on Dr. Heidi Overton and the Trump administration to restore meaningful safeguards for mifepristone immediately while the FDA completes its review, and to end policies that have enabled abortion drugs to be distributed through the mail without adequate medical oversight.”
If you are experiencing an unexpected pregnancy and want to learn more about your options, you can visit My Choice Network.
Please considering supporting Focus on the Family’s Option Ultrasound program to place ultrasounds in pregnancy centers around the country. To date, we’ve helped save over 500,000 preborn babies from abortion.
Related articles and resources:
Dealing With Unplanned Pregnancy
Become an Option Ultrasound Life Advocate
New Insights on the Dangers of the Abortion Pill
Overcoming Abortion and Becoming a Force for Life
How You Can Join the Pro-Life Movement
How To Join The Pro-Life Movement
Scriptures Advocating For The Pre-Born
The History of Christianity and Abortion
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