US Supreme Court blocks limits on mail‑order abortion pill, keeping telehealth access alive

On May 14‑15 2026 the U.S. Supreme Court issued an emergency order staying a lower‑court ruling that would have required an in‑person doctor visit and halted mail delivery of the abortion medication mifepristone. The stay preserves the existing FDA rule that allows the drug to be prescribed via telehealth and dispensed through pharmacies or the mail, keeping the status quo while the Louisiana lawsuit against the FDA proceeds. Seven justices voted for the stay; Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito filed dissenting opinions, with Alito calling the order “unreasoned” and “remarkable” and Thomas invoking the dormant 19th‑century Comstock Act. The case was brought by Louisiana, which argues the FDA’s 2023 rule undermines the state’s near‑total abortion ban. Drugmakers Danco Laboratories and GenBioPro asked the Court for emergency relief, arguing that the appellate decision would create “regulatory chaos” for patients. The decision leaves in place nationwide access to mifepristone, a medication used in about two‑thirds of U.S. abortions, at a time when many states have restricted clinic‑based abortions.