After an extraordinary four-year-long approval process, the Food and Drug Administration might or might not give its final approval to the early-option abortion drug, mifepristone, also known by its French name RU-486. It has said it will issue a ruling or statement by Saturday, September 30.
However, the FDA might also listen to the anti-abortion members of Congress, who, after all, approve agency budgets, and hence the FDA may announce another delay and wait until after the November elections before announcing its decision.
Or, the FDA could limit access to the drug by permitting it to be distributed only by medical doctors and health professionals trained in surgical abortion, medically induced abortion and the use and analysis of sonograms. Prescribing doctors also would be required to have one-hour’s access to a hospital emergency room where they have admitting privileges. This at a time when 86 percent of women in the U.S. live in a county without a single abortion provider.
Or, it could make mifepristone available, with reasonable guidelines.
Although Viagra, the drug treatment for male impotence, has been linked to serious side effects and safety concerns, a recent Internet search revealed nearly 100 on-line vendors promising to fill prescriptions for the drug immediately and ship it overnight.
