A North Carolina federal judge overruled a spate of new state laws that imposed new requirements on the use of Food and Drug Administration approved abortion pills.
The ruling means that pregnant people can again take the medicine mifepristone at home and can obtain the medication from a pharmacy or by mail. New North Carolina laws had required people to take the medicine only in the physical presence of a licensed physician.
Additionally, an in-person follow up visit is not required, though a requirement remains for people to have an in-person consultation 72 hours prior to taking the medicine. The lawsuit was brought by Dr. Amy Bryant, a UNC Health OB-GYN.
"Politicians in North Carolina cannot interfere with the FDA's authority and impose medically unnecessary restrictions on medication abortion care," Bryant said after the ruling.