Washington project trains pharmacists to prescribe abortion pills directly to patients

PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — A number of Washington pharmacists have participated in a pilot program in which they prescribe abortion pills to patients.

Years after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe V. Wade, granting states the right to determine their own abortion laws, global health organization Uplift International has rolled out the Pharmacist Abortion Access Project.

The first-of-its-kind project allows pharmacists to prescribe mifepristone and misoprostol, FDA-approved medications used to terminate pregnancies, directly to patients. This medication is typically only accessible from a doctor, nurse, health clinic or Planned Parenthood health center, according to the organization.

Although the Seattle-based Uplift International is located in a state with strong abortion protections, CEO Beth Rivin said some Washingtonians — especially residents with low income or those in rural areas — still face barriers with reproductive health care.

“For many decades, Washington pharmacists have been leaders in expanding access to reproductive health services,” Rivin, a doctor who also serves as PAAP’s managing director, said. “This project paves the way for in-person prescribing of medication abortion, and we expect the PAAP will be a valuable model for other states, too.”

Washington pharmacists have been legally considered as healthcare providers who can prescribe medication since 1979. Decades later in 2015, state legislators approved a senate bill that required health insurance companies to recognize pharmacists as medical providers as well.

While these measures have been in effect for years, Uplift International said its pilot project “comes amid the abortion access crisis.” The organization reported that 10 pharmacists participated in PAAP’s pilot launch from Oct. 31 to Nov. 26 last year, prescribing mifepristone and misoprostol to 43 patients using the online platform Honeybee Health.

Some officials in states with abortion bans have attempted to crack down on these medications, as they have become more common since Roe V. Wade’s reversal in 2022.