August 4, 2026

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Doctors for America Files Amicus Brief to Maintain Access to Mifepristone 

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WASHINGTON, D.C. – Doctors for America (DFA) filed an amicus brief in support of maintaining the FDA’s 2023 Risk Evaluation Mitigation Strategy (REMS) for mifepristone. This brief aims to prevent reimposition of the in-person dispensing requirement which would threaten access to essential reproductive care.

"Mifepristone is an essential medication that physicians rely on to provide timely, evidence-based care for patients experiencing miscarriages and other common obstetric conditions. Reinstating an unnecessary in-person dispensing requirement would delay care, increase burdens on patients, and disproportionately harm those in rural communities, people with limited financial resources, and working families. Medical decisions should be guided by science and the needs of patients, not by politics," said Hailey Greenstone, MD, MPH, Vice Chair, Doctors for America’s Health, Justice and Equity Impact Area. 

“In speaking with DFA clinicians across the country, one thing was clear: telehealth prescribing and pharmacy or mail dispensing are essential to safe, appropriate, evidence-based care. Reimposing an in-person dispensing requirement would strip clinicians of a treatment option they rely on for both miscarriage management and abortion care — a restriction that twenty-five years of evidence simply does not support,” said Janet Levit, JD, Frederic Dorwart Endowed Professor of Law at the University of Tulsa.

The brief, submitted in the case of Louisiana v. FDA, et al. in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, urges the court to maintain current clinical standards and reject attempts to force the nationwide imposition of an outdated in-person dispensing requirement for mifepristone. The lawsuit, filed by the state of Louisiana, seeks to roll back federal REMS provisions that allow healthcare providers to prescribe mifepristone via telehealth and permit patients to receive the medication through certified retail or mail-order pharmacies. 

DFA joins a consensus of major medical organizations in emphasizing that drug regulation must remain grounded in scientific evidence rather than political litigation. Restricting access to mifepristone compromises a physician's ability to provide timely, safe, and compassionate evidence-based care. 

The brief was filed by the University of Tulsa College of Law’s Reproductive Justice Practicum, which provides pro bono legal help to DFA. Tulsa Law student attorneys Eli Feck and Melody Reed led work on the brief with support from Reproductive Justice Practicum Director Janet Levit and Thomas Leatherbury. 

To read the full brief filed in the case of Louisiana v. FDA, et al. here. For press inquiries for members of Doctors for America willing to speak on this issue, please contact Kyle Shiels (kyle.shields@drsforamerica.org).

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About Doctors for America: Doctors for America (DFA) is a national movement of more than 40,000 physicians and medical students across all 50 states and every specialty who are committed to putting patients over politics. We mobilize and train clinicians to be effective advocates, equipping them with the skills to influence policy and lead change at both state and federal levels. Our work focuses on three core areas: expanding access to affordable care, strengthening community health and prevention, and advancing health justice and equity. Unlike many organizations, DFA does not accept funding from pharmaceutical companies, insurers, or for-profit healthcare corporations—ensuring that our voice remains independent, trusted, and grounded solely in what is best for patients. By uniting the trusted voices of doctors and medical trainees, DFA drives policy change, defends evidence-based care, and works to improve the health of our patients, communities, and nation. Find out more at doctorsforamerica.org and on X or Bluesky.