Doctors brace for a nationwide shortage of abortion pills
CBC
A nationwide shortage of the abortion pill is expected next week — just months after another shortage of the drug forced some patients to get surgical abortions instead.
"When our hands are tied, it's really frustrating to not be able to give the standard of care," said Dr. Emily Stuart, an abortion provider on Vancouver Island.
The abortion pill, known as Mifegymiso, first became available in Canada in 2017 as an alternative to surgical abortions.
It greatly opened up abortion access since the drug can be prescribed by a family doctor and provided by a pharmacy up to 10 weeks into a pregnancy. Mifegymiso is not the same as the so-called Plan B or "morning after" pill, which is an emergency contraception medication taken within 72 hours of unprotected sex.
Linepharma, the sole supplier of the abortion pill in Canada, blames delivery delays, manufacturing constraints and shortages of the active ingredients used to make the drug.
It said it expects the shortage to begin Feb. 20 and last for two weeks, until March 6.
"Abortion is time-sensitive," Stuart said. "If you have to wait two weeks, you could be outside of the window."
Surgical abortion can be provided further along in a pregnancy but it requires an in-person visit to a hospital or abortion clinic. People seeking surgical abortions may have to travel from smaller communities where the service is not provided.
Some patients also prefer the abortion pill because it can be taken at home and is less invasive than the surgery.
Abortion providers across Canada tell CBC News they're stockpiling their own supplies of Mifegymiso and are planning to share them with others.
"Some pharmacies have a limited stock of Mifegymiso available but not a very high stock," said Patricia LaRue, who heads up Clinique des femmes de l'Outaouais, an abortion provider in Gatineau, Que.
"So we're scared that some people might not have access to the products."
Health Canada told CBC News it has been in contact with the drug's maker and has been told "the shortage is not expected to impact the availability of Mifegymiso at the patient level." The department said it's talking to the company to ensure a continued supply of Mifegymiso moving forward.
This is the second shortage of Mifegymiso to hit Canada in the last three months.
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