Key Points
- The Therapeutic Goods Administration has approved changes to expand access to the abortion pill MS-2 Step.
- The changes will reduce restrictions on who can prescribe and dispense the medication.
- The changes are part of the Albanese government's election promise to improve access to abortion.
Access to medical abortions is being expanded in Australia through landmark changes approved by the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA).
The TGA has approved an application from not-for-profit pharmaceutical company MS Health to amend restrictions on the medical abortion pill MS-2 Step.
But what is MS-2 Step, how difficult is it to access, and what do the changes mean?
What is the medical abortion pill?
MS-2 Step (Mifepristone and Misoprostol), known as RU-486 in some countries, is a two-part medical abortion medication.
It can be taken in the first nine weeks of pregnancy.
The first step is a mifepristone tablet, which ends the pregnancy.
The second step is misoprostol tablets, which make the uterus contract to remove the pregnancy.
According to the government, regulatory steps have meant only one in 10 medical practitioners can prescribe MS-2 Step and three in 10 pharmacists can dispense it.
What are the changes to abortion medication?
From August, MS-2 Step will be able to be prescribed by any healthcare practitioner with appropriate qualifications and training, including nurse practitioners.
Restrictions on dispensing the medication have also been lifted, meaning the medication will also be able to be dispensed by any pharmacist.
Previously, doctors needed certification to prescribe MS-2 Step, and pharmacists had to be specially registered to dispense it.
MS-2 Step will be easier to access from August. Source: AAP / Charlie Riedel/AP
The decision to approve these amendments was informed by expert advice from the Advisory Committee on Medicines, an independent committee with expertise in scientific, medical and clinical fields and including consumer representation, the TGA said.
Who can prescribe medical abortions in Australia?
Abortion has been decriminalised in Australia, but abortions can be difficult to access depending on location.
To access MS-2 Step through a GP, patients can book an appointment and request a prescription.
Accessing the medication through a nurse practitioner is a little more complicated.
While the TGA changes enable nurse practitioners to prescribe the medication, this remains limited in some states and territories due to broader restrictions around abortions.
According to non-profit abortion provider MSI Australia, only doctors are legally able to perform abortions in NSW, Tasmania, Western Australia or the ACT.
Legislation has been introduced in Western Australia that would change the state's restrictions.
MSI's analysis found laws in South Australia and Victoria would allow nursing practitioners to prescribe abortion medication, while Queensland and the Northern Territory may be open to a "partially nurse-led approach".
Who will the changes benefit?
The changes are part of the Albanese government's election promise to improve access to abortion in Australia and come after a Senate inquiry into universal access to reproductive healthcare.
The TGA said the decision "will assist in addressing important access issues for patients who require this medication".
Assistant Minister for Health and Aged Care Ged Kearney said increased access to the medication would be particularly important for people in regional and rural areas, which often have limited access to abortion services.
"That has really added to the cost of getting treatment because you have to travel, you may have to take an extra day off work; it's really added to the stress," she said.
"We know it's time-limited, of course, so there's some urgency about getting the treatment early. So we think this is a really practical good change that will help a lot of women."
Royal Australian College of General Practitioners president Nicole Higgins said the move would improve access to the service for those living in rural and remote communities.
"The TGA's changes will enable greater access to medical abortion for women throughout Australia and will reduce unnecessary red tape for the GPs who provide these essential services," she said.
Higgins said GPs were better placed to provide holistic support and counselling on medical abortions and were often the only health services available in regional areas.
-Additional reporting by AAP
