Abortion pill access jumps almost 50% after Australia eases restrictions for pharmacies

Key points

• The number of Australian pharmacies stocking an abortion pill increased by almost 50% after prescribing restrictions were relaxed. A study published in the medical journal JAMA Network Open examined the impact of changes by the Therapeutic Goods Administration in 2023.
• Researchers led by La Trobe University found that by mid-2025, 4,107 pharmacies were stocking the medication, up from 2,228 before the policy change.
• The number of postcodes with a pharmacy stocking the medication rose from 915 to 1,292, with regional coverage increasing from 23% to 35% of postcodes.