Trump FDA Pick Heidi Overton May Tighten Mifepristone Rules as Pills Account for 65% of Abortions
Updated
Updated · Fox News · Aug 25
Trump FDA Pick Heidi Overton May Tighten Mifepristone Rules as Pills Account for 65% of Abortions
3 articles · Updated · Fox News · Aug 25
Summary
Heidi Overton, Trump’s nominee to lead the FDA, is expected by anti-abortion advocates to intensify scrutiny of mifepristone and potentially revisit how the drug is prescribed and dispensed.
Mifepristone can now be prescribed via telehealth and mailed by certified pharmacies after the FDA dropped its in-person dispensing requirement in 2021 and later made that change permanent.
Overton has publicly criticized expanded access to abortion pills, which made up about 65% of clinician-provided abortions in 2023, up from 53% in 2020.
A September 2025 federal safety review of mifepristone is still unfinished after former FDA Commissioner Marty Makary resigned in May; if confirmed, Overton would inherit that review.
Senators have not yet scheduled Overton’s confirmation hearing, but it is expected after the chamber returns from summer recess on Sept. 14.