Abortion pills over the counter? Experts see big hurdles in widening U.S. access

According to medical and regulatory experts, both Biden and Becerra did not address the issue of pills not being available over-the-counter, a process that could take years.

A pill used to terminate early pregnancies is unlikely to become available without a prescription for years, if ever, experts told Reuters, as the U.S. Supreme Court curbed abortion rights this week.

The Supreme Court on Friday overturned the landmark 1973 Roe v. Wade ruling that recognised the constitutional right to an abortion and legalised it nationwide. The new ruling stung abortion rights advocates and was a momentous victory to Republicans and Conservatives.

The pill, mifepristone, in combination with a second drug called misoprostol, induces an abortion up to 10 weeks into a pregnancy and is only available through a certified doctor's prescription. Abortion rights activists have stepped up calls to make it available at pharmacies without a prescription.

Many U.S. states intend to severely limit or outright ban abortions after the ruling. The White House is considering options to increase access to so-called medication abortions, which can be administered at home.

"Today I am directing the Department of Health and Human Services to take steps to ensure these critical medications are available to the fullest extent possible," President Joe Biden said at the White House on Friday.

"We will double down and use every lever we have to protect access to abortion care," Secretary of Health and Human Services Xavier Becerra said in a statement, adding that the department would ensure access to "medication abortion that has been approved by the FDA for over 20 years."