A group of pharmacists, including those from the Korean Association of Pharmacists for Healthy Society, have submitted a civil petition to the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety to introduce the miscarriage-inducing drug mifepristone.

The association said Thursday that Shin Hyung-geun and 171 members had sent a formal complaint to the ministry, calling for the swift introduction of the mifepristone-based miscarriage-inducing agent (brand name, Mifegyne) by designating it as an essential medicine and using the regulator’s Rare Essential Medicines Center.

It also issued a statement titled, “We, 172 pharmacists, demand the designation and swift introduction of the miscarriage inducer to assure safe cessation of pregnancy.”

“Although the law that criminalizes abortion disappeared on Jan. 1, 2021, only a limited number of medical institutions and associated information provided cessation of pregnancy in the past two years. And many women who want to stop pregnancy are trying to do so through medications,” the statement said. “As a result, it is easy to access advertisements that sell miscarriage-inducing drugs on portal sites and social media. However, online purchases are more expensive than actual prices, and confusion about how to take it and the source of the drugs makes it difficult to ensure a safe cessation of pregnancy.”

The association emphasized that civic society, including women’s organizations, has demanded the designation and swift introduction of these drugs as essential medicines. Still, the regulator has yet to provide a related reply, adding that even the approval procedure for Mifegymiso, a miscarriage inducer applied by Hyundai Pharma, has been terminated without a conclusion.

“Ending pregnancy with drugs is preferred by women in many countries as it reduces financial burden, improves access, and is highly receptive. In addition, it showed a high success rate of over 95 percent and a meager severe side effect rate of 1 percent in various clinical trials. It is regarded as not inferior to surgical methods,” it said. “World Health Organization includes pregnancy-cessation service in its list of essential healthcare services to guarantee women’s reproductive health and designates miscarriage inducers as essential medicine product to be assured by all governments.”

Noting that the association has participated in the latest petition by attaching hand-written signatures to demand access to miscarriage inducers, it said, “The ministry must listen to our demands and improve substantive access to these drugs by designating them as essential medicines and introducing them as early as possible.”