On May 23rd, 2023, the Senate Community Affairs Committee delivered its report with several recommendations. These recommendations included the decision by the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) to amend the prescribing and dispensing restrictions on medical abortion.
Previously, doctors were required to undergo additional training to prescribe the medications used to induce a medical abortion, Mifepristone and Misoprostol, also known as MS 2-Step. Pharmacists were also required to register as providers.
Medical abortion was introduced to the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme in 2012, with the intention of increasing access to abortion. However, it is estimated that less than 10% of practicing general practitioners in Australia are currently certified to prescribe medical abortion, and it is unknown how many are actively providing this service to patients.
WHISE was one of many of organisations to present a submission to the Senate Inquiry, calling upon the Federal Government to implement urgently needed reforms to enhance access to abortion.
Not-for-profit pharmaceutical company MS Health, part of MSI Australia, led an application to the TGA to remove restrictions to prescribing and dispensing Mifepristone and Misoprostol.
While the regulatory changes to prescribing and dispensing medical abortion are critical to increasing access to abortion across Victoria, significant barriers remain, such as financial inequality, stigma, and provider shortages. However, this reform is essential for empowering women by providing them with greater control and choice over their reproductive health decisions.