The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is set to permit the sale of abortion pills in retail pharmacies across the country, as part of efforts to circumvent a Supreme Court judgement banning abortion procedures in health facilities.

Mifepristone, the first of two-drugs medication to terminate a pregnancy will now be sold at retail pharmacies, albeit with a doctor’s prescription and a signed consent form.

Before now, the pills could only be obtained by a handful of mail-order pharmacies or at a few approved clinics.

Although, more than of half of the abortions in the U.S. were carried out through the use of pills, last year’s landmark ruling overturning women’s rights to abortion in the Roe v Wade case, had spiked the demand for abortion pills.

Pharmacies intending to dispense the medication, however, are required to obtain certification to sell Mifepristone, the pill that terminates the hormone that develops pregnancies, usually administered in the first 10 weeks of pregnancy.

The process guiding the purchase of Misoprostol, the second of the two pregnancy-termination pills, has never been rigid, although, buyers must have a doctor’s prescription. 

Anti-abortion campaigner, Marjorie Dannenfelser, accused the Joe Biden administration of valuing abortion profits over the lives of women.

“The Biden administration has once again proved that it values abortion industry profits over women’s safety and unborn children’s lives,” asserted Ms Dannenfelser in a statement.