Statement attributable to:
Ryan D. Mire, MD, MACP
President, ACP
WASHINGTON April 10, 2023 – The American College of Physicians (ACP) is deeply concerned about the federal court decision in Texas that was announced late last week that effectively revokes the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) approval of mifepristone. While another federal court in Washington has issued a preliminary injunction blocking the FDA from taking action to remove mifepristone from the market in 17 states, the decision in Texas would have an impact nationwide if it is not reversed.
In a updated policy that ACP published this past February, we noted that mifepristone is considered safe and effective, and that major complication risks are rare. Reproductive Health Policy in the United States goes on to say that “prescription drug policy should allow for distribution and access to medications that is in line with evidence about their utility, safety profile, and risk for complications and is comparable to the allowed access to other medications with comparable profiles.” Disallowing access to mifepristone will greatly harm access to abortion services in our country, since it accounts for more than half of all abortions obtained. The decision in Texas ignores the evidence-based process that the FDA undertook to evaluate this drug, the same process they employ with every drug they evaluate. Substituting the decision of a federal judge for the expertise of the FDA’s scientists is unacceptable. Our patients need to be able to access appropriate, evidence-based medical care, including the full range of reproductive health care services, without undue government or political interference.
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About the American College of Physicians
The American College of Physicians is the largest medical specialty organization in the United States with members in more than 145 countries worldwide. ACP membership includes 160,000 internal medicine physicians, related subspecialists, and medical students. Internal medicine physicians are specialists who apply scientific knowledge and clinical expertise to the diagnosis, treatment, and compassionate care of adults across the spectrum from health to complex illness. Follow ACP on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.
Contact: Jacquelyn Blaser, (202) 261-4572, jblaser@acponline.org