Pharmacies across the nation have been given the green light to carry and supply what some are calling a controversial product.

“I’ve been a pharmacist for about 12 years and I have never dispensed mifepristone, not even once,” said Sam Awad at the Caring Wellness Pharmacy.

Mifepristone is a medication that assists in ending pregnancies in the first 10 weeks. Prior to this week, it was barred from being sold at pharmacies by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

“It is taken one day at 200 milligrams, then about 48 hours later, another medication, misoprostol, is taken and then pregnancy termination starts within 24 hours,” Awad explained.

Experts say the medication is safe and effective for up to 10 weeks of pregnancy and the risk of severe side effects are not common. It will require a prescription. Pharmacies must apply for certification.

“It’s just like any other medication," Awad said. "I will carry it. We don’t stock it because as I mentioned, it’s not very common.”

Advocates for reproductive rights consider this a victory, especially in states where abortion bans are gaining traction after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade last year.

“There are state laws that mandate in-person visits for medication abortion care that contradict FDA guidance and are not supported by medical science,” said Georgana Hanson, interim president and CEO of Planned Parenthood Empire State Acts.

In a state like New York, advocates believe the FDA’s decision strengthens a stronghold.

“With this change, the FDA has followed the science and lifted the unnecessary and outdated restriction on medication abortion,” Hanson said.

Anti-abortion groups, such as Susan B. Anthony Pro Life America, argue expanding access to Mifepristone is dangerous. The group released a statement earlier this week that read, in part:

“The Biden administration has once again proved that it values abortion industry profits over women’s safety and unborn children’s lives. Abortion activists want to turn every post office and pharmacy into an abortion business, and the Biden FDA is a willing participant – even while studies show emergency rooms are being flooded with women suffering from serious, life-threatening complications caused by abortion drugs.”

At the Caring Wellness Pharmacy, the demand is not expected to be high, but the supply is said to be plentiful.

“It is readily available to order and it comes the next day, so I don’t see a problem for most pharmacies,” Awad said.