Canadian advocates fight hurdles on abortion pill before it debuts
Sexual health advocates are intent on making Canada the most permissive country in the world for a heavily regulated abortion pill expected to hit shelves next month.
Mifegymiso has been available elsewhere for nearly 30 years and is approved for use in more than 60 countries with varying restrictions.
In some cases, that includes the demand that only a doctor be allowed to hand the drug to the patient — rather than a pharmacist — and that the woman swallow the pill at a clinic in front of her physician, instead of privately.
It appeared similar restrictions were imposed when Health Canada approved the drug, but continuing pressure seems to be loosening several key conditions as its expected November debut approaches.
The federal regulator issued a clarification last week stressing that a woman doesn’t need to take the drug in front of a doctor at a clinic, as is required in the U.K., France, the Netherlands and Sweden.
And the College of Physicians and Surgeons of B.C. vowed to allow pharmacists to dispense the drug, as is allowed in Australia under certain conditions. Pharmacists aren’t allowed to dispense the drug in the U.S., U.K., France, the Netherlands or Sweden.
Meanwhile, a call-to-action led by the B.C. doctors, and advocacy groups including the Ottawa-based Action Canada for Sexual Health and Rights, is hammering away at other perceived hurdles to accessibility: Its $300 cost, certification requirements for the prescribing doctors, and limiting use to no more than seven weeks after a woman’s last period.
“Why should abortion medication be subject to that scrutiny? It shouldn’t be,” executive director Sandeep Prasad said of the myriad restrictions on the drug, also known as RU-486.
“It’s only the case because it is abortion that we’re talking about and people have problems with that, people are against it and that’s really the issue. It’s a stigmatized service and that’s really unfortunate.”
A spokesman for Health Canada said guidelines are based on data provided by the drug’s Canadian distributor, Celopharma Inc., and can’t be changed without a revised submission from the company.