Abortion pill will be available in Quebec starting December 15

sexualhealthandrights.ca

The Government of Quebec is supporting women’s reproductive health, and will officially make the abortion pill, Myfegymiso, available across the province as of December 15.

Minister of Health and Social Services Gaétan Barrette made the announcement yesterday. The Government of Quebec promised in July that the pill would be made available to women by the end of Fall 2017.

Administration of the pill took several months as the College of Physicians and the Order of Pharmacists of Quebec had to establish guidelines as to how the medication would be made available to women.

The program will be run by the Régie de l’assurance maladie du Québec, and women will be able to get the pill either through a doctor or at one of Quebec’s 1,900 pharmacies.

“The Government of Quebec has always been in favor of women’s right to make choices. We have ensured that those wishing to use the abortion pill and who meet the eligibility criteria can do so with a safe and quality follow-up,” said Barrette in a statement.

“With this free access program, we offer an additional option for abortion services which has certain advantages for Quebecers, including avoiding surgery and living this stage in privacy.”

Myfegymiso was approved by Health Canada in 2015 and can be used to terminate pregnancies up to nine weeks. It first became available in Canada in January 2017 at a cost of approximately $300.

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