Federal Judge Strikes Down Some North Carolina Abortion Pill Restrictions

A federal judge struck down some of North Carolina’s restrictions on access to abortion medications on Monday, saying they conflict with the authority of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). District Judge Catherine Eagles ruled that the state laws limiting the prescription of the medicine mifepristone to only physicians and mandating in-person prescribing are “preempted” by federal laws. The judge also struck down the requirement that “non-fatal adverse events” related to mifepristone be reported to the FDA. This follows an April 30 ruling, in which Judge Eagles said the state laws “frustrate the congressional goal of establishing a comprehensive regulatory framework under which the FDA determines conditions for safe drug distribution that do not create unnecessary burdens on the health care system or patient access.”...