As Support for Medication Abortion Grows, Pharmacists Can Be Patient Advocates
A conversation with Antonia Biggs, PhD, professor and acting director of the Advancing New Standards in Reproductive Health Program at the University of California, San Francisco.
Since the constitutional right to abortion was overturned in the Supreme Court’s ruling of Dobbs v Jackson Women’s Health Organization in June 2022, 12 states have banned abortions altogether and several others have implemented bans based on gestational duration.1 However, recent research has shown that national support for and personal interest in expanded access to medication abortion has increased across the country.
The study, which was published in JAMA Network Open, issued surveys to over 10000 people before and after Dobbs who were assigned female at birth and were between 15 to 49 years of age.2 The surveys included different questions that aimed to gauge personal interest in and support for expanded access to advanced provision (AP) and OTC medication abortion.
The findings showed that support for AP increased from 48.9% to 55.1% and support for OTC increased from 49.4% to 55.2%. Likewise, personal interest in AP increased from 23.6% to 26.4% and personal interest in OTC increased from 36% to 42.5%. The authors concluded that AP and OTC medication abortion “have the potential to offer a promising approach to abortion care, particularly for people living in abortion-restricted states.”
Antonia Biggs, PhD, professor and acting director of the Advancing New Standards in Reproductive Health Program at the University of California, San Francisco, and an author on the study, sat down with Drug Topics to discuss what contributed to the increase in support for access to medication abortion, effective ways to address misconceptions about the safety and efficacy of medication abortion, and how pharmacists can play a role in advocating for broader access.
“A growing number of people across the US, across different demographic groups, are interested in more accessible medication abortion options, which we know are extremely safe and effective” Biggs said. “We really need our political leaders in abortion restricted states to listen to the people who live in their states instead of making it harder for them to get the care that they need.”
READ MORE: Women's Health Resource Center
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References
1. Abortion in the United States Dashboard. Report. KFF. December 30, 2024. Accessed January 16, 2025. https://www.kff.org/womens-health-policy/dashboard/abortion-in-the-u-s-dashboard/
2. Biggs MA, Schroeder R, Kaller S, et al. Changes in Support for Advance Provision and Over-the-Counter Access to Medication Abortion. JAMA Netw Open. 2025;8(1):e2454767. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2024.54767
National Support for Medication Abortion Access Increased Since Dobbs Decision
January 16th 2025Support for and personal interest in expanded access to advance provision and over-the-counter medication abortion has increased significantly since the constitutional right to abortion was overturned by the Supreme Court.
