In January 2023, the FDA allowed eligible pharmacies to become certified to dispense mifepristone, one of two drugs used in medication abortion. Only one pharmacy in Washington has so far gained the certification, but some pharmacists are working to broaden access further.
Don Downing, a professor emeritus of clinical pharmacy at Seattle’s University of Washington, is training 10 pharmacists to prescribe mifepristone, and he told the outlet he’s hearing interest from more pharmacists.
A 40-year-old law allows pharmacists in the state to prescribe any FDA-approved drug, NPR reported, and in 2015, Washington became the first state to formally recognize pharmacists as medical providers, which helps them with reimbursements.
“That allowed pharmacists in Washington to function at the full extent of their licensure and training,” Jenny Arnold, PharmD, CEO of the Washington State Pharmacy Association, told NPR. “There’s a lot more they can do than just make sure the patient gets the right meds in the bottle.”
California also allows pharmacists with an advanced practice certification to prescribe mifepristone, and an introduced New York bill aims to allow pharmacists to provide medication abortion under a “standing order” or non-patient-specific prescription.
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