{"id":330587,"date":"2025-05-19T14:48:55","date_gmt":"2025-05-19T19:48:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.liveaction.org\/news\/?p=330587"},"modified":"2025-05-19T06:50:28","modified_gmt":"2025-05-19T11:50:28","slug":"concerns-grow-over-stability-and-efficacy-of-mail-order-abortion-drugs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/archive.liveaction.org\/news\/concerns-grow-over-stability-and-efficacy-of-mail-order-abortion-drugs\/","title":{"rendered":"Concerns grow over stability and efficacy of mail-order abortion drugs"},"content":{"rendered":"<div style=\"margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;\" class=\"sharethis-inline-share-buttons\" ><\/div><p>Even the media is growing concerned over the fact that a lack of climate-controlled delivery and extreme temperatures may negatively impact the stability and efficacy of mail-order drugs \u2014 including abortion pills.<\/p>\n<h3><strong>KEY TAKEAWAYS:<\/strong><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>While the FDA regulates certain aspects of packaging and transporting drugs from manufacturers to wholesalers and pharmacies, they do not regulate the shipping of mail-order drugs (including abortion drugs) sent to customers&#8217; homes.<\/li>\n<li>Mailed abortion pills often spend a great deal of shipping time in extreme temperatures. Experts note that this could cause the drugs to become compromised, unstable, and less effective.<\/li>\n<li>The lack of oversight and regulation in shipping and delivery could mean thousands of women obtaining the abortion pill by mail are receiving compromised, less effective drugs \u2014 potentially increasing the risk of incomplete abortion.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><strong>THE DETAILS:<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Mifepristone 200mg (Mifeprex) and misoprostol are the two drugs that make up the Food and Drug Administration&#8217;s (FDA) <a href=\"https:\/\/www.accessdata.fda.gov\/drugsatfda_docs\/appletter\/2000\/20687appltr.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">approved<\/a> abortion pill regimen.<\/p>\n<p>Though the FDA\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.accessdata.fda.gov\/drugsatfda_docs\/label\/2023\/020687Orig1s026lbl.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">2023 mifepristone label<\/a> is clear that the drug is to be stored at &#8220;25\u00b0C (77\u00b0F); excursions permitted to 15 to 30\u00b0C (59 to 86\u00b0F),&#8221; mailed <a href=\"https:\/\/archive.liveaction.org\/news\/hawley-reinstate-safeguards-abortion-pill-women-sue\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">abortion pills<\/a> are often transported in extremely hot or cold conditions, before being placed inside mailboxes where they will likely sit for hours in potentially high heat or freezing weather.<\/p>\n<p>Packaging inserts for both <a href=\"https:\/\/dailymed.nlm.nih.gov\/dailymed\/drugInfo.cfm?setid=61626f72-7469-6f6e-4953-6d7572646572\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Danco<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/dailymed.nlm.nih.gov\/dailymed\/drugInfo.cfm?setid=b63fad9b-7f12-4400-9019-b0586054e534\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">GenBioPro<\/a> (GBP) show the same storage instructions. In addition, <a href=\"https:\/\/archive.liveaction.org\/news\/generic-abortion-pill-manufacturer-economic-interests-lawsuit\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">GBP<\/a> states on its <a href=\"https:\/\/genbiopro.com\/products\/mifepristone\/pharmacy\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">website<\/a> that mifepristone should be protected from light.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_330741\" style=\"width: 710px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-330741\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-large wp-image-330741\" src=\"https:\/\/archive.liveaction.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Abortion-pill-storage-temps-clearly-labeled-by-manufacturers-Danco-and-GenBioPro-700x288.jpg\" alt=\"Abortion pill storage temps clearly labeled by manufacturers Danco and GenBioPro\" width=\"700\" height=\"288\" srcset=\"https:\/\/archive.liveaction.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Abortion-pill-storage-temps-clearly-labeled-by-manufacturers-Danco-and-GenBioPro-700x288.jpg 700w, https:\/\/archive.liveaction.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Abortion-pill-storage-temps-clearly-labeled-by-manufacturers-Danco-and-GenBioPro-300x123.jpg 300w, https:\/\/archive.liveaction.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Abortion-pill-storage-temps-clearly-labeled-by-manufacturers-Danco-and-GenBioPro-768x316.jpg 768w, https:\/\/archive.liveaction.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Abortion-pill-storage-temps-clearly-labeled-by-manufacturers-Danco-and-GenBioPro-1536x632.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/archive.liveaction.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Abortion-pill-storage-temps-clearly-labeled-by-manufacturers-Danco-and-GenBioPro-500x206.jpg 500w, https:\/\/archive.liveaction.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Abortion-pill-storage-temps-clearly-labeled-by-manufacturers-Danco-and-GenBioPro.jpg 2045w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-330741\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Abortion pill storage temps clearly labeled by manufacturers Danco and GenBioPro<\/p><\/div>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_330743\" style=\"width: 710px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-330743\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-large wp-image-330743\" src=\"https:\/\/archive.liveaction.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Abortion-pill-storage-temps-and-protect-from-light-on-GenBioPro-website-700x298.jpg\" alt=\"Abortion pill storage temps and protect from light on GenBioPro website\" width=\"700\" height=\"298\" srcset=\"https:\/\/archive.liveaction.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Abortion-pill-storage-temps-and-protect-from-light-on-GenBioPro-website-700x298.jpg 700w, https:\/\/archive.liveaction.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Abortion-pill-storage-temps-and-protect-from-light-on-GenBioPro-website-300x128.jpg 300w, https:\/\/archive.liveaction.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Abortion-pill-storage-temps-and-protect-from-light-on-GenBioPro-website-768x327.jpg 768w, https:\/\/archive.liveaction.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Abortion-pill-storage-temps-and-protect-from-light-on-GenBioPro-website-1536x653.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/archive.liveaction.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Abortion-pill-storage-temps-and-protect-from-light-on-GenBioPro-website-2048x871.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/archive.liveaction.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Abortion-pill-storage-temps-and-protect-from-light-on-GenBioPro-website-500x213.jpg 500w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-330743\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Abortion pill storage temps and protect from light on GenBioPro website<\/p><\/div>\n<p>The second drug in the protocol, misoprostol (Cytotec), also requires specific temperature controls. According to <a href=\"https:\/\/labeling.pfizer.com\/ShowLabeling.aspx?id=559\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Pfizer<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/genbiopro.com\/products\/misoprostol\/prescribers\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">GBP<\/a>,\u00a0misoprostol <a href=\"https:\/\/genbiopro.com\/products\/misoprostol\/prescribers\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">should be stored<\/a> &#8220;at or below 25\u00b0C (77\u00b0F), in a dry area.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>A\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/medrxiv.org\/cgi\/content\/short\/2023.07.10.23292436v1\">study<\/a> conducted <a href=\"https:\/\/archive.liveaction.org\/news\/gates-funded-abortion-pill-supplier-manufacturer-shoddy\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">between 2020 and 2021<\/a> by Concept Foundation and the International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF) concluded that \u201ca significant problem still exists in relation to the quality of medical abortion drugs in low- and middle-income countries\u201d and noted that &#8220;Misoprostol is a viscous oil at room temperature and is extremely unstable in the presence of moisture.&#8221;<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_330747\" style=\"width: 710px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-330747\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-large wp-image-330747\" src=\"https:\/\/archive.liveaction.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Misoprostol-storage-temps-per-GenBioPro-700x415.jpg\" alt=\"Misoprostol storage temps per GenBioPro\" width=\"700\" height=\"415\" srcset=\"https:\/\/archive.liveaction.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Misoprostol-storage-temps-per-GenBioPro-700x415.jpg 700w, https:\/\/archive.liveaction.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Misoprostol-storage-temps-per-GenBioPro-300x178.jpg 300w, https:\/\/archive.liveaction.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Misoprostol-storage-temps-per-GenBioPro-768x456.jpg 768w, https:\/\/archive.liveaction.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Misoprostol-storage-temps-per-GenBioPro-500x297.jpg 500w, https:\/\/archive.liveaction.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Misoprostol-storage-temps-per-GenBioPro.jpg 1021w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-330747\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Misoprostol storage temps per GenBioPro<\/p><\/div>\n<p><strong>Measuring possible impact<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>A <a href=\"https:\/\/graphical.weather.gov\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">heat map<\/a> for May 15, 2025 (in neither the coldest nor the hottest season), reveals several states exceed the limits allowable by the drug&#8217;s labels for temperature excursions; this information suggests that mailed abortion pills could become compromised.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_331359\" style=\"width: 710px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-331359\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-image-331359 size-large\" src=\"https:\/\/archive.liveaction.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/NWS-Heat-Map-May-15-2025-700x577.jpg\" alt=\"NWS Heat Map (May 15 2025) temps for mailed abortion pills exceed storage limits \" width=\"700\" height=\"577\" srcset=\"https:\/\/archive.liveaction.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/NWS-Heat-Map-May-15-2025-700x577.jpg 700w, https:\/\/archive.liveaction.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/NWS-Heat-Map-May-15-2025-300x247.jpg 300w, https:\/\/archive.liveaction.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/NWS-Heat-Map-May-15-2025-768x634.jpg 768w, https:\/\/archive.liveaction.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/NWS-Heat-Map-May-15-2025-500x412.jpg 500w, https:\/\/archive.liveaction.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/NWS-Heat-Map-May-15-2025.jpg 1485w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-331359\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">NWS Heat Map (May 15 2025) temps for mailed abortion pills exceed storage limits<\/p><\/div>\n<p>Interestingly, the drug&#8217;s Safety Data Sheet <a href=\"https:\/\/www.chemicalbook.com\/msds\/Mifepristone.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">published<\/a> at ChemicalBook.com tells those manufacturing the drug, &#8220;Do not let the chemical enter drains. Discharge into the environment must be avoided,&#8221; adding, &#8220;Do not contaminate water, foodstuffs, feed or seed by storage or disposal. Do not discharge to sewer systems.&#8221; Yet DIY abortion pills are taken at home and sometimes ordered by &#8220;advanced provision&#8221; for a woman to keep on hand before she is even pregnant. In these situations, storage and disposal are unregulated.<\/p>\n<p>According to a report <a href=\"https:\/\/link.springer.com\/article\/10.1208\/s12248-024-00976-w\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">published<\/a> by the official journal of the American Association of Pharmaceutical Sciences, studies on drug stability are &#8220;conducted in temperature- and humidity-controlled environments,&#8221; to determine &#8220;shelf life and storage\/shipping conditions,&#8221; which &#8220;follow[] guidelines set forth in International Council for Harmonization of Technical Requirements for Pharmaceuticals for Human Use (ICH) Q1A(R2) (1) and recommendations for good storage and transportation practices out lined in United States Pharmacopeia (USP).&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>The Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences <a href=\"https:\/\/www.jpharmsci.org\/article\/S0022-3549(23)00119-3\/pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">claimed<\/a> that &#8220;Instability within drug products can cause significant reduction in the potency of administered dose, loss of product performance (e.g. dissolution failure of solid product), formation of (geno-)toxic degradants, possibility of adverse events or side-effects, shortened shelf-life that can cause supply chain issues, batch variations and recalls, etc.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Mailed abortion pills are on the increase, according to the pro-abortion <a href=\"https:\/\/societyfp.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/WeCount-Report-8-June-2024-data.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">#WeCount<\/a>, which reported that &#8220;telehealth&#8221; abortions comprise a quarterly average of 20% of all abortions.\u00a0It seems abortion pills are one of the more popular mail-order drugs; nationally in 2024, &#8220;just over 4% of the country\u2019s prescriptions were delivered by mail&#8221; in comparison, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.kcur.org\/health\/2025-01-20\/a-new-missouri-rule-tries-to-protect-your-mail-order-medications-from-extreme-cold-and-heat\">according<\/a> to KCUR.<\/p>\n<p>In March of 2024, Guttmacher\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.guttmacher.org\/2024\/03\/despite-bans-number-abortions-united-states-increased-2023\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-saferedirecturl=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/url?q=https:\/\/www.guttmacher.org\/2024\/03\/despite-bans-number-abortions-united-states-increased-2023&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1718733620073000&amp;usg=AOvVaw2nlKmdeeZ2ih2XcSJX7GzD\">estimated<\/a> that the abortion pill <a href=\"https:\/\/www.guttmacher.org\/2024\/03\/medication-abortion-accounted-63-all-us-abortions-2023-increase-53-2020\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">accounted<\/a> for 63% of abortions in 2023, a 45% increase from 2017. And in <a href=\"https:\/\/onlinelibrary.wiley.com\/doi\/10.1111\/psrh.12294\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-saferedirecturl=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/url?q=https:\/\/onlinelibrary.wiley.com\/doi\/10.1111\/psrh.12294&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1744238194801000&amp;usg=AOvVaw0YyLaelc6LiuNGLsQFnp83\">February of 2025<\/a>, Guttmacher <a href=\"https:\/\/archive.liveaction.org\/news\/abortion-data-2800-daily\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">estimated<\/a> that 648,500 abortion pills were sold nationwide in 2023 (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.guttmacher.org\/2024\/02\/medication-abortion-within-and-outside-formal-us-health-care-system-what-you-need-know\">not including<\/a> those that \u201ctake place outside of the formal health care system\u201d or which are \u201cmailed to people in states with total abortion bans\u201d).<\/p>\n<p>Therefore, it is likely that far more than 13,000 women received the abortion pill by mail, in conditions which could have compromised the drug&#8217;s effectiveness \u2014 possibly increasing the potential for incomplete abortions (requiring additional drugs or surgery) or more serious complications.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Potential compromise of all mail-order drugs<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>It isn&#8217;t just mailed abortion pills that are cause for concern; nationally, media has noted potential stability issues with all drug prescriptions sent by mail.<\/p>\n<p class=\"sc-1pf85vx-0 dvvqNU re-text\">&#8220;Prescription medications usually come with package inserts that include storage requirements. If a medication doesn\u2019t have specific storage requirements, the FDA says it <a class=\"sc-19xr78-0 PkzGF sc-b1a67a0-0 obeZL\" title=\"\" href=\"https:\/\/www.accessdata.fda.gov\/scripts\/cdrh\/cfdocs\/cfcfr\/cfrsearch.cfm?fr=205.50\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><u>may be stored<\/u><\/a>\u00a0at controlled room temperature. This is defined as\u00a0<a class=\"sc-19xr78-0 PkzGF sc-b1a67a0-0 obeZL\" title=\"\" href=\"https:\/\/www.fda.gov\/inspections-compliance-enforcement-and-criminal-investigations\/inspection-technical-guides\/expiration-dating-and-stability-testing-human-drug-products\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><u>59\u00b0F to 86\u00b0F,<\/u><\/a><u>&#8220;<\/u> GoodRX wrote, adding,\u00a0&#8220;Mail-order pharmacies may use the U.S. Postal Services or companies like FedEx to deliver your medications. But they\u2019re still responsible for putting <a class=\"sc-19xr78-0 PkzGF sc-b1a67a0-0 obeZL\" title=\"\" href=\"https:\/\/pharmacist.therapeuticresearch.com\/Content\/Segments\/PRL\/2020\/Jan\/Delivering-and-Mailing-Prescriptions-S2001006\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><u>processes in place<\/u><\/a> to keep your medications at proper temperatures while in transit.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>But if not stored\u00a0<u><a class=\"sc-19xr78-0 PkzGF sc-b1a67a0-0 obeZL\" title=\"\" href=\"https:\/\/www.ashp.org\/news\/2020\/12\/09\/mail-order-medications-often-exposed-to-unsafe-temperatures-study-shows?loginreturnUrl=SSOCheckOnly#:~:text=Most%20medications%20should%20be%20stored,be%20altered%20and%20lose%20effectiveness.\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">under the right conditions<\/a>,<\/u>\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.goodrx.com\/drugs\/safety\/mail-order-extreme-temperatures\">GoodRX says<\/a> those drugs &#8220;can change physically or chemically,&#8221; which can decrease effectiveness. &#8220;The same conditions apply if they\u2019re shipped to your home. That\u2019s why the FDA has <a class=\"sc-19xr78-0 PkzGF sc-b1a67a0-0 obeZL\" title=\"\" href=\"https:\/\/www.accessdata.fda.gov\/scripts\/cdrh\/cfdocs\/cfcfr\/cfrsearch.cfm?fr=205.50\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><u>strict rules<\/u><\/a> for how pharmacies and distribution centers store them. Those same storage requirements should also be met during transit,&#8221; GoodRX added.<\/p>\n<p>Even the New York Times <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2024\/08\/13\/health\/heat-mail-order-drugs.html\">noted<\/a> in 2024 that &#8220;[m]illions of Americans now receive their prescription medications through mail-order shipments,&#8221; which is concerning, as &#8220;the <a class=\"css-yywogo\" title=\"\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2022\/08\/20\/business\/ups-postal-workers-heat-stroke-deaths.html\">temperatures inside the cargo areas of delivery trucks<\/a> can reach 150 degrees Fahrenheit in the summer&#8230; far exceeding the range of 68 to 77 degrees recommended by the national organization that sets standards for drug handling.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">The Times pointed out that despite claims of &#8220;weather resistant&#8221; packaging, a study showed that &#8220;independent pharmaceutical researchers who embedded data-logging thermometers inside simulated shipments found that the packages had spent <a class=\"css-yywogo\" title=\"\" href=\"https:\/\/www.japha.org\/action\/showPdf?pii=S1544-3191%2823%2900018-3\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">more than two-thirds<\/a> of their transit time outside the appropriate temperature range, &#8216;regardless of the shipping method, carrier, or season.&#8217;\u201d The outlet noted,\u00a0&#8220;Extreme temperatures can alter the components in many medications&#8230;&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Local Missouri station KCUR likewise <a href=\"https:\/\/www.kcur.org\/health\/2025-01-20\/a-new-missouri-rule-tries-to-protect-your-mail-order-medications-from-extreme-cold-and-heat\">warned<\/a> that pharmacists have said &#8220;extreme temperatures&#8230; can change the chemical makeup of medicine, often making it less effective.&#8221; Little &#8220;regulatory oversight&#8221; is happening in the transport and delivery process.<\/p>\n<h3><strong>THE BACK STORY:<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>In 2000, following clinical trials by manufacturer Danco Laboratories, the FDA <a href=\"https:\/\/www.accessdata.fda.gov\/drugsatfda_docs\/appletter\/2000\/20687appltr.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">approved<\/a>\u00a0mifepristone as an abortion pill for use\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.accessdata.fda.gov\/drugsatfda_docs\/label\/2011\/020687s014lbl.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">up to seven weeks of pregnancy<\/a> in a regimen with the drug misoprostol. Changes were made in 2016, allowing the pill to be dispensed up to 10 weeks of pregnancy and removing requirements that the manufacturer report any adverse events other than death. In 2019, the FDA approved <a href=\"https:\/\/archive.liveaction.org\/news\/generic-abortion-pill-genbiopro-nationwide-market\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">GenBioPro<\/a>\u00a0to become the\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/archive.liveaction.org\/news\/women-die-abortion-pill-fda-generic\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">generic manufacturer<\/a> of mifepristone.<\/p>\n<p>In 2021, the Biden FDA <a href=\"https:\/\/archive.liveaction.org\/news\/fda-permanently-loosens-abortion-pill-safety-measure\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">weakened<\/a> the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fda.gov\/drugs\/drug-safety-and-availability\/risk-evaluation-and-mitigation-strategies-rems\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">REMS<\/a> safety regulations for the drug by eliminating the <a href=\"https:\/\/archive.liveaction.org\/news\/fda-removes-abortion-pill-safety-protocols-drug\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">in-person dispensing requirement<\/a> and enabled mailed abortion pills to be permanently <a href=\"https:\/\/archive.liveaction.org\/news\/fda-permanently-loosens-abortion-pill-safety-measure\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">shipped<\/a>. It is important to note that the <a href=\"https:\/\/archive.liveaction.org\/news\/federal-law-prohibit-abortion-drugs-mail-enforced\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Federal Comstock Law<\/a> prohibits the mailing of abortion drugs.<\/p>\n<h3><strong>THE BOTTOM LINE:\u00a0<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>An FDA spokeswoman told the New York Times, &#8220;medicines that are not stored properly may not work as well or may cause harm, even if they are not expired.&#8221; Yet the Times <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2024\/08\/13\/health\/heat-mail-order-drugs.html\">noted<\/a> that while the FDA has guidelines &#8220;for packaging and storing drugs and transporting them between manufacturers, wholesalers and <a href=\"https:\/\/archive.liveaction.org\/news\/pharmacy-dispensing-abortion-pill-begun\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">pharmacies<\/a>,&#8221; it is the states that have jurisdiction over the mail-order abortions.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;While the U.S. Food and Drug Administration regulates many aspects of medications, states deal with pharmacies,&#8221; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.kcur.org\/health\/2025-01-20\/a-new-missouri-rule-tries-to-protect-your-mail-order-medications-from-extreme-cold-and-heat\">wrote<\/a> KCUR. &#8220;The &#8216;last mile&#8217; when a medication is shipped by mail or commercial carrier directly to a consumer has had little oversight. Regulations generally lay out temperatures required for storing drugs, but not necessarily for shipping them.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.judicialwatch.org\/abortion-drug-mifeprex\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Judicial Watch<\/a> has submitted yet-unanswered FOIA requests on this issue; the FDA appears uninterested in answering concerns about quality control mechanism for mailed abortion drugs.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/actnow.io\/G3Bhv6M\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter size-large wp-image-325597\" src=\"https:\/\/archive.liveaction.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/LA25DefundPP_EmailBannerAd-02-1-700x251.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"700\" height=\"251\" srcset=\"https:\/\/archive.liveaction.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/LA25DefundPP_EmailBannerAd-02-1-700x251.png 700w, https:\/\/archive.liveaction.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/LA25DefundPP_EmailBannerAd-02-1-300x107.png 300w, https:\/\/archive.liveaction.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/LA25DefundPP_EmailBannerAd-02-1-768x275.png 768w, https:\/\/archive.liveaction.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/LA25DefundPP_EmailBannerAd-02-1-500x179.png 500w, https:\/\/archive.liveaction.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/LA25DefundPP_EmailBannerAd-02-1.png 1167w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Even the media is growing concerned over the fact that a lack of climate-controlled delivery and extreme temperatures may negatively impact the stability and efficacy of mail-order drugs \u2014 including abortion pills. KEY TAKEAWAYS: While the FDA regulates certain aspects of packaging and transporting drugs from manufacturers to wholesalers and pharmacies, they do not regulate [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":303,"featured_media":282934,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false},"categories":[9953],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v20.7 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Concerns grow over stability and efficacy of mail-order abortion drugs<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Mailed abortion pills often spend a great deal of shipping time in extreme temperatures. This could cause the drugs to become compromised.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/archive.liveaction.org\/news\/concerns-grow-over-stability-and-efficacy-of-mail-order-abortion-drugs\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Concerns grow over stability and efficacy of mail-order abortion drugs\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Mailed abortion pills often spend a great deal of shipping time in extreme temperatures. This could cause the drugs to become compromised.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/archive.liveaction.org\/news\/concerns-grow-over-stability-and-efficacy-of-mail-order-abortion-drugs\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Live Action News\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/liveaction\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2025-05-19T19:48:55+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-05-19T11:50:28+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/archive.liveaction.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/GettyImages-1415058581-pills-mail.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1200\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"650\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Carole Novielli\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@https:\/\/twitter.com\/CaroleNovielli\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@liveaction\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Carole Novielli\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"8 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/archive.liveaction.org\/news\/concerns-grow-over-stability-and-efficacy-of-mail-order-abortion-drugs\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/archive.liveaction.org\/news\/concerns-grow-over-stability-and-efficacy-of-mail-order-abortion-drugs\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Carole Novielli\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/archive.liveaction.org\/news\/#\/schema\/person\/81ff4ca810d98b0b5b376a640452d9e6\"},\"headline\":\"Concerns grow over stability and efficacy of mail-order abortion drugs\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-05-19T19:48:55+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-05-19T11:50:28+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/archive.liveaction.org\/news\/concerns-grow-over-stability-and-efficacy-of-mail-order-abortion-drugs\/\"},\"wordCount\":1390,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/archive.liveaction.org\/news\/#organization\"},\"articleSection\":[\"Abortion Pill\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/archive.liveaction.org\/news\/concerns-grow-over-stability-and-efficacy-of-mail-order-abortion-drugs\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/archive.liveaction.org\/news\/concerns-grow-over-stability-and-efficacy-of-mail-order-abortion-drugs\/\",\"name\":\"Concerns grow over stability and efficacy of mail-order abortion drugs\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/archive.liveaction.org\/news\/#website\"},\"datePublished\":\"2025-05-19T19:48:55+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-05-19T11:50:28+00:00\",\"description\":\"Mailed abortion pills often spend a great deal of shipping time in extreme temperatures. 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