California abortion pill suppliers plot workarounds ahead of Supreme Court mifepristone decision

The Supreme Court has not set a timeline for a final decision in Louisiana v. FDA, but it faces a deadline of May 11, when its temporary pause on a lower-court ruling is set to expire unless the justices act.

That ruling from the Fifth Circuit would roll back more recent FDA changes and reinstate older requirements that mifepristone be dispensed in person, effectively blocking telehealth prescriptions and mail distribution of the drug nationwide. Justice Samuel Alito issued the temporary administrative stay blocking that ruling from taking effect while the Supreme Court considers next steps.

Mifepristone is now used in nearly two-thirds of all U.S. abortions, and with the legal future of sending it by mail uncertain, California suppliers are already pivoting.

"It's not going away, and it's not going to slow down," she said of abortion.

At the center of the supply chain pivot is misoprostol, which is also used in concert with mifepristone to form the cocktail used in the majority of U.S. abortions. But some health officials assess that using misoprostol alone is less effective and comes with a higher risk of side effects.

Despite the elevated risk factors, suppliers are ready to ship the backup drug.

"We heard about this on Friday and organizations that mail pills were mailing misoprostol on Saturday," Gomez told the Times. "They already knew what to do."

Fox News Digital contacted the MYA Network and the FDA for comment but did not immediately receive a response.