Mifepristone and misoprostol are available through telehealth services, certified retail pharmacies, and in-person clinics in states where medication abortion is legal. The FDA approves this two-pill regimen for ending a pregnancy up to 10 weeks (70 days from the first day of your last period). Where you can get it depends largely on which state you live in and how far along the pregnancy is.
Telehealth Pill-by-Mail Services
Virtual clinics are the most affordable and widely used option for medication abortion. These services connect you with a licensed provider through a video visit or online questionnaire, and the pills are mailed to your home. The median cost through a virtual clinic is about $150, compared to $600 for an in-person visit at a brick-and-mortar facility.
The largest telehealth providers and the states they serve:
- Aid Access: Serves 20 states plus Washington, D.C., with a gestational limit of 12 weeks. Available to patients 13 and older. Operates in Alaska, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, and Washington.
- Hey Jane: Serves 9 states with a gestational limit of 10 weeks. Available to patients 18 and older. Operates in California, Colorado, Connecticut, Illinois, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Virginia, and Washington.
- Wisp: Serves 8 states with a gestational limit of 10 weeks. Available to patients 18 and older. Operates in Colorado, Connecticut, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, New Mexico, New York, and Washington.
Most virtual clinics use an asynchronous model, meaning you fill out a medical questionnaire and a provider reviews it on their own time rather than during a live appointment. Some offer synchronous video or chat visits as well. After the provider confirms you’re eligible, pills typically ship within a few days.
One important caveat: very few virtual clinics accept Medicaid. Only about 7% do. If you have private insurance, coverage varies by plan and state. Most patients at virtual clinics pay out of pocket.
Retail Pharmacies
In January 2023, the FDA removed the requirement that mifepristone be dispensed in person at a clinic, opening the door for certified retail pharmacies to stock it. Walgreens and CVS both announced plans to dispense mifepristone starting in early 2024.
Walgreens initially rolled out dispensing in Pennsylvania, New York, California, Massachusetts, and Illinois, with plans to expand to all states where it’s legal. CVS began in Massachusetts and Rhode Island. Both chains have said they will gradually expand to additional states but will not dispense in states where the legal landscape is unclear.
You still need a prescription from a certified provider to pick up mifepristone at a pharmacy. Your doctor, nurse practitioner, or a telehealth provider writes the prescription, and a certified pharmacy fills it. Not every location within these chains carries the medication, so calling ahead is worth your time.
In-Person Clinics
Planned Parenthood locations, independent abortion clinics, and some OB-GYN offices provide medication abortion with an in-person visit. This typically includes an ultrasound to confirm gestational age and rule out ectopic pregnancy, a consultation with a provider, and the medication itself. The median cost for in-person medication abortion is around $600, though prices vary by location.
Brick-and-mortar clinics that also offer telehealth visits tend to charge about $500 for the telehealth option, a middle ground between the virtual-only clinics and a full in-person visit. About two-thirds of these facilities accept Medicaid, making them a better option if you have Medicaid coverage.
What the Process Looks Like
The FDA-approved regimen involves two medications taken at different times. You take mifepristone first, which blocks the hormone progesterone that a pregnancy needs to continue. Twenty-four to 48 hours later, you take misoprostol, which causes the uterus to contract and expel the pregnancy tissue.
A large study of over 6,000 telehealth medication abortions found a 97.7% completion rate without the need for any additional intervention. Serious adverse events occurred in 0.25% of cases, and 1.3% of patients visited an emergency department. These safety numbers are comparable to in-person care, which is why the FDA expanded access beyond clinic-only dispensing.
Most people experience heavy cramping and bleeding for several hours after taking misoprostol. The heaviest bleeding usually subsides within a day, though lighter bleeding can continue for one to two weeks.
If You’re in a Restricted State
Roughly half of U.S. states have laws restricting or banning abortion, which limits local access to mifepristone. Some people in these states travel to a state where it’s legal to receive care in person or through telehealth.
Eight states have passed “shield laws” since 2022 that protect doctors who mail abortion pills across state lines. These states are New York, Maine, California, Colorado, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Washington. An additional 14 states plus Washington, D.C. have shield laws or protective executive orders, though these don’t all explicitly extend to telemedicine-based abortion. Shield laws protect providers within the state that passed the law. They do not protect patients from legal consequences under their own state’s laws, so understanding your state’s specific restrictions matters.
Some providers based in shield-law states do ship pills to patients in restrictive states, but this is a legally contested area. The legal risks fall differently on the provider and the patient depending on the states involved.
Cost and Financial Help
The price gap between virtual and in-person care is significant. Virtual-only clinics charge a median of $150, while in-person visits run around $600. If cost is a barrier, telehealth is the most direct way to lower it.
The National Network of Abortion Funds connects patients with local and national organizations that help cover the cost of the procedure, travel, lodging, and child care. Their website (abortionfunds.org) lets you search by state to find funds you’re eligible for. Many funds can help within a few days of your request, though availability depends on demand.
Some telehealth providers also offer sliding-scale pricing or accept donations that subsidize care for patients who can’t afford the full cost. It’s worth asking about reduced pricing when you begin the intake process.
Misoprostol-Only Option
In situations where mifepristone isn’t available, misoprostol can be used on its own to end a pregnancy. The World Health Organization includes a misoprostol-only protocol in its clinical guidelines, with multiple doses taken over several hours. This approach is less effective than the combination regimen and typically involves more cramping and a longer process, but it remains an option recognized by international health authorities. Misoprostol is more widely available than mifepristone because it has other approved uses, including treating stomach ulcers.