Tipsheet

Gov. Noem says she will ban abortion pills prescribed online

Sarah Arnold
Sarah Arnold  |  June 26, 2022 11:45 AM

Gov. Kristi Noem (R-SD) advanced a bill to ban abortion pills from being prescribed online. 

During CBS’s Face the Nation, Noem told host Margaret Brennan that abortion care providers will no longer be able to prescribe the pills through telemedicine appointments. 

“These are very dangerous medical procedures,” Noem told Brennan, adding “we don’t believe it should be available because it is a dangerous situation for an individual without being medically supervised by a physician.” 

In March, the Republican governor signed a bill requiring patients seeking an abortion through medication, to go to a third appointment in-person before being given the second dose. 

The first appointment would be for an initial screening, then they must wait 72 hours before they can return to the clinic to get both drugs in the two-dose regimen. They can take the second dose at home.

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On Friday, South Dakota banned abortions though a trigger law, which went into effect immediately once Roe v. Wade was overturned. 

Noem praised the SCOTUS's decision, saying "the constitution does not give a women the right to an abortion...the power to make these decisions really goes to each individual state.”

Meanwhile, Attorney General Merrick Garland said that states cannot ban the abortion medication mifepristone, based on the Food and Drug Administrations (FDA) approval of the drug. 

“In particular, the FDA has approved the use of the medication Mifepristone. States may not ban Mifepristone based on disagreement with the FDA’s expert judgment about its safety and efficacy,” Garland said in a statement. 

Additionally, Noem told Brennan that she will not encourage people in her state to report civilians who are suspected of assisting or reporting the procedure.