More doctors will soon be able to prescribe medical abortions

The rules have changed

Women will now have easier access to the reproductive care they require. Image: Getty

The Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) has expanded the number of practitioners who can prescribe and dispense abortion pills, making them as accessible as any other prescription.

Ged Kearney, our federal Assistant Minister for Health and Aged Care announced a landmark decision following an in-depth Senate investigation into universal reproductive healthcare access.

The Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) will change how MS-2 Step (mifepristone and misoprostol) medical abortion pills are dispensed and prescribed, making them significantly more accessible. 

As of August 1, 2023, GPs and pharmacists will no longer be required to go through the hoops of mandatory training and registration every three years. More pharmacies can now stock and distribute medical abortion medication like any other prescription.

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Professor Danielle Mazza AM, Head of General Practice at Monash University, applauds the groundbreaking decision to reduce the stigma surrounding abortion and increase its accessibility. According to Mazza AM, "only about 10 per cent of GPs in Australia are [currently] registered to prescribe" the abortion pill due to the previously restrictive mandatory training and registration process.

Because of this policy change, women can choose medical or surgical abortion services from their preferred or trusted practitioners beginning next month. It both removes geographical barriers and creates safer paths for women.

MS-Step 2 is a two-step procedure that entails taking one type of medication to end the pregnancy and another to cause the uterus to contract to remove the pregnancy, taken 24-48 hours apart. Because the process is time-sensitive, with MS 2-Step only available during the first nine weeks of pregnancy, increasing access is critical.

The TGA has improved abortion pill access for all Australian women. Image: iStock

Mazza AM assures that in this new scenario, Australian "women won't have to hunt around to try and find a local pharmacy," resulting in a more accessible, safer option that can be administered from the comfort of home.

Increasing the number of practitioners means it becomes more accessible in areas where women may not have access to a GP who provides this service. Mazza AM highlights, "In 2019, this was one-third of Australian women and up to 50 per cent in remote areas" who did not have this critical access.

The Pharmaceutical Society of Australia (PSA) also applauds the elimination of unnecessary bureaucratic barriers, which brings Australian practices "in line with international experience," such as countries like Canada, broadening the scope of women's healthcare and reproductive care.

According to the PSA, "Community pharmacists are the most easily accessible healthcare professionals for many Australians." Their importance in our healthcare system cannot be overstated, particularly for women living in rural and remote areas who, thanks to their local pharmacists, will now have easier access to the reproductive care they require.

Originally published as More doctors will soon be able to prescribe medical abortions