Quebec no longer requires ultrasound to access abortion pill: physicians’ order
Global News
The abortion pill, approved by Health Canada in 2015, consists of mifepristone and misoprostol, taken as a combined medications that come together under the brand Mifegymiso.
Quebec will no longer require people wishing to terminate a pregnancy to undergo an ultrasound before accessing the abortion pill, according to a physicians’ order Thursday.
A statement released by the Quebec College of Physicians said that until now, the order required a pelvic ultrasound to “ensure the gestational age and location of the pregnancy,” before a doctor could prescribe the medication.
This requirement is officially lifted as of Thursday, said the statement.
The order says this decision came after the recent U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, the landmark 1973 case that legalized abortion nationwide.
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“(The ultrasound requirement) has been under study at the College since last January in order to update the directives and to promote access to this medication, in light of the evidence collected and analyzed on the use of the abortion pill,” the statement reads.
Additionally, Quebec doctors will no longer need to undergo specific training on the medication if they are not familiar with abortion practice. The order says physicians will now be instructed to use the recommended guidelines and their clinical judgement.
“The role of the College is to ensure the protection of the public, but it also has a duty to ensure that its rules reflect advances in science, evidence, and the evolution of society. That’s what we’re doing,” wrote Doctor Mauril Gaudreault, president of the order.