The Supreme Court on Thursday allowed the abortion pill to remain available by telehealth, meaning it can be prescribed remotely and delivered by mail — even into states where abortion is restricted.

May 14 (UPI) -- The Supreme Court on Thursday opted to allow mail orders of the abortion drug mifepristone to continue for now as a legal battle challenging the practice continues to play out.

WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court on Thursday ensured that the abortion pill mifepristone can continue to be available by mail without an in-person appointment with a clinician. A ruling by the New Orleans-based 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on May 1 had imperiled widespread access to the pill. Now, the Supreme Court has granted emergency requests brought by drugmakers Danco Laboratories and GenBioPro seeking to block that ruling. The decision, a loss for the state of Louisiana, ensures there will not be any disruption to the availability of the drug as litigation continues. On May 4, in an order issued by conservative Justice Samuel Alito, the court had provisionally put the appeals court ruling on hold while the justices considered their next steps. Two conservative members of the court, Justice Clarence Thomas and Justice Samuel Alito, dissented. Thomas, noting that mailing mifepristone is illegal in Louisiana, took aim at the drug-makers, saying that they were not entitled to block a court order “based on…

The court’s order allows women seeking abortions to continue obtaining the drug, mifepristone, at pharmacies or through the mail.

The Supreme Court has preserved women’s access to a drug used in the most common method of abortion, rejecting lower-court restrictions while a lawsuit continues.

The Supreme Court kept broader access to abortion pill mifepristone in place, allowing telehealth prescribing and mail delivery to continue.