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The American Civil Liberties Union has just filed a lawsuit against the Food and Drug Administration. The legal measure intends to force the federal agency to lift access limitations to the abortion pill. The organization together with a Hawaiian doctor believes that authorities are actually in violation of a Supreme Court ruling.
Dr. Chelius’s Remote Island Has No Local Abortion Providers
On Tuesday, ACLU opened a legal battle against FDA regarding access to Mifeprex. Such a measure received an explanation on ACLU’s website in a blog post. The organization claimed that it had joined the efforts of a Hawaiian doctor, Graham Chelius, to offer better health care to women.
Dr. Chelius is a successful pediatrician who took care of hundreds of births. However, he is appalled by the fact that there are no local solutions to women’s right to an abortion in Waimea, Hawaii. Whenever his patients consult him on this issue, Dr. Chelius has no other choice than to redirect them to a 150-miles away facility for professional help.
“There are no abortion providers on our island.”
The remote community in Kauai has to deal with numerous issues. The rates here are high in poverty, domestic violence, food shortage, and health experts. Dr. Chelius intends to improve his community starting with offering women control over their own bodies.
A 2016 Supreme Court Ruling Forced Authorities to Clear Any Obstacles in Women’s Access to the Abortion Pill
The main issue stems from the fact that the FDA doesn’t allow retail pharmacies to accept prescriptions for abortion pills. Only entities that are recognized by drug manufacturers such as clinics and medical offices have the approval to issue this medication. On the other hand, the federal agency applied milder regulations on other drugs that are viewed as less safe than Mifeprex such as Viagra or blood thinners.
Dr. Chelius claimed that his anti-abortion colleagues made it impossible to register his clinic with abortion pill manufacturers. Therefore, he intends to force FDA to endorse a 2016 Supreme Court decision.
The ruling known as ‘Whole Woman’s Health v. Hellerstedt’ ordered authorities to clear any hurdle that can impair women’s access to abortion. The goal of the new lawsuit against FDA is to allow local pharmacies to fill prescriptions for Mifeprex.
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