OLYMPIA, Wash. — Gov. Jay Inslee announced Tuesday that Washington state purchased a three-year supply of mifepristone, an abortion medication that is currently at the center of a lawsuit in a Texas federal court.
The state Department of Corrections (DOC), which has an existing pharmacy license, purchased the approximate 30,000 doses last month for $1.27 million, and received the full shipment of mifepristone on March 31.
“This Texas lawsuit is a clear and present danger to patients and providers all across the country. Washington will not sit by idly and risk the devastating consequences of inaction,” Inslee said. “We are not afraid to take action to protect our rights. Washington is a pro-choice state and no Texas judge will order us otherwise.”
Mifepristone is used in combination with another drug, misoprostol, to end an early pregnancy.
Additionally, the University of Washington ordered approximately 10,000 additional doses, which would create a four-year stockpile. Those pills are in the state's possession.
U.S. District Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk is set to issue a ruling on a lawsuit filed by a group of doctors who oppose abortion, called the Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine, that challenges the Food and Drug Administration's approval of the drug. Kacsmaryk could rule to effectively end the ability of providers or pharmacists nationwide to purchase the medication.
State lawmakers in Washington have introduced legislation, Senate Bill 5768, that would authorize the Department of Corrections to distribute or sell the medication to licensed health providers.
Washington state Attorney General Bob Ferguson is helping lead a multistate lawsuit against the FDA that argues mifepristone is singled out for "excessively burdensome regulation."
According to the state Department of Health, there are approximately 800 medical abortions in Washington every month.