California Governor Gavin Newsom has announced that his state has secured an emergency stockpile of up to 2 million abortion medication pills which will be shared with other allied states. The move comes as a federal judge in Texas has restricted access to Mifepristone, which is part of a two-dose regimen approved by the Food and Drug Administration as both safe and effective since 2000. Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk, who was appointed by former President Donald Trump, argued that “legitimate safety concerns” surrounding Mifepristone were ignored by the FDA. Many anti-abortion-rights organizations are suing the FDA to try and pull the drug off the market. The Biden administration is appealing Kascmaryk’s ruling.

The single-drug alternative to the two-drug protocol of Mifepristone and misoprostol involves the use of misoprostol alone which, although less effective than the combined protocol, is endorsed by the World Health Organization as a safe and effective option. California has also secured 250,000 doses of misoprostol alone for use in termination of pregnancy. Pharmacies experiencing shortages will be directed to a state website where they can find information about how to request pills from the misoprostol supply. The state’s CalRx prescription drug program secured California’s supply of pills which ensures that Californians can continue to have access to safe reproductive health treatments.