On Monday, the US Supreme Court (SCOTUS) blocked a lower court ruling that restricted the prescription of mifepristone, the abortion pill, via telemedicine. Justice Samuel Alito temporarily blocked this court order until May 11.
The original lawsuit stemmed from the state of Louisiana which has a ban on abortion.
Mifepristone is the first drug in a two-drug regimen used to carry out a chemical abortion. Until recently, the drug could only be dispensed in person, but the Biden administration relaxed several safety measures, including the in-person requirement. This decision made abortion via telemedicine – “tele-abortion” – possible.
Pro-lifers and health advocates emphasize that in-person screenings are common sense and necessary for ruling out complications including ectopic pregnancies. A study published in 2025 revealed that almost 11% of women who take the abortion pill end up experiencing “serious adverse events,” including sepsis, hemorrhages, or incomplete abortions, requiring surgery.
The abortion pill accounts for an estimated 60% of all abortions nationwide.
Louisiana sued the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in October 2025, arguing that the prescription of mifepristone via telemedicine violates their state law which bans abortion.
In April 2026, a federal judge paused Louisiana’s lawsuit, ruling that the lawsuit could continue only after the FDA completed its own safety review of mifepristone.
On May 1, 2026, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit ordered the reinstatement of in-person dispensing of mifepristone, effectively pausing tele-abortion.
Two abortion pill companies, Danco Laboratories and GenBioPro, filed emergency appeals after the May 1 ruling, asking SCOTUS to intervene.
On Monday, May 4, Justice Samuel Alito issued an administrative stay which restores tele-abortion. The stay expires on May 11, but the state of Louisiana must respond by the end of Thursday, May 7.
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