South Dakota governor tightens grip on abortion medications

South Dakota is restricting access to medications used for abortions through an executive order signed by governor Kristi Noem, according to US media reports.

The new legislation puts into focus that abortions induced using medications come under state law that requires the patient to get an in-person consultation with a physician.

Amid a nationwide push among members of the Republican party to outlaw most abortions, Noem directed South Dakota’s Department of Health to create rules that abortion-inducing drugs can only be prescribed or dispensed by a state-licensed physician after an in-person examination, according to reports from Associated Press.

The new law signed by the governor is likely to be connected with a potential upcoming order from the United States Food and Drug Administration that will permit abortion medications to be given off through mail or virtual pharmacies.

After last week’s ban on abortions in Texas, the issue has gained national importance as multiple states plan to follow the route.

South Dakota’s Department of Health reported that about 39% of the abortions in the state were induced through medications. 

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Those against the new rule argue that the abortion method is safe, and outlawing them would have a disproportionate effect on rural residents who face long drives to the nearest abortion clinic, according to reports from Associated Press.

American Civil Liberties Union of South Dakota’s Communications Director Janna Farley said in a statement, “Having an abortion is a private medical decision, one that is protected under the U.S. Constitution, and it’s disappointing that governor Noem continues to insert herself into the patient-doctor relationship”, according to reports from Associated Press.

The statement added, “It’s clear that the attacks on our abortion rights are not letting up in South Dakota.”