Mifepristone (RU-486 ® ) as a Schedule IV Controlled Drug-Implications for a Misleading Drug Policy on Women's Health Care

Mifepristone (RU-486) has been approved for abortion in Taiwan since 2000. Mifepristone was the first non-addictive medicine to be classified as a schedule IV controlled drug. As a case of the "misuse" of "misuse of drugs laws," the policy and consequences of mifepristone-assisted abortion for pregnant women could be compared with those of illicit drug use for drug addicts. The rule-making process of mifepristone regulation was analyzed from various aspects of legitimacy, social stigma, women's human rights, and access to health care. The restriction policy on mifepristone regulation in Taiwan has raised concerns over the legitimacy of listing a non-addictive substance as a controlled drug, which may produce stigma and negatively affect women's reproductive and privacy rights. Such a restriction policy and social stigma may lead to the unwillingness of pregnant women to utilize safe abortion services. Under the threat of the COVID-19 pandemic, the US FDA's action on mifepristone prescription and dispensing reminds us it is time to consider a change of policy. Listing mifepristone as a controlled drug could impede the acceptability and accessibility of safe mifepristone use and violates women's right to health care.