Mifepristone is highly effective at treating incomplete miscarriages, but patients often cannot get the medication because the FDA tightly regulates the drug as an abortion medication. As a result, the most commonly used medical protocol for miscarriage management today is misoprostol alone. But, research shows that the combination of mifepristone and misoprostol is faster and more effective for miscarriage care as well as less painful than misoprostol alone.

A new citizen petition asks the FDA to modify the drug’s label to add an indication for miscarriage treatment and to remove requirements that clinicians and pharmacies be certified to prescribe and distribute the drug.