FDA says patients can access abortion pills via telemedicine

What they're saying: The FDA made the announcement in a letter to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, one of several groups that have filed lawsuits over the in-person rule.

• The agency said recent studies "do not appear to show increases in serious safety concerns" when women take the medication without visiting a medical center first, according to AP.

The big picture: This is a reversal from the Trump-era federal requirement that obligated women seeking abortion pills to obtain the drug in person. The Supreme Court granted the Trump administration's appeal on the rule in its first ruling on abortion since the arrival of Justice Amy Coney Barrett.

Of note: "The FDA policy only applies during the COVID-19 health emergency," AP writes. "The obstetricians and gynecologists group and several other medical organizations are pushing to make medication abortion permanently available via online prescribing and mail-order pharmacies."