The B.C. government announced Tuesday that the province will be offering the pregnancy termination drug Mifegymiso for free starting January 15, 2018.
In a press release, the B.C. health ministry said the province will “soon be providing universal, no-cost coverage for the drug Mifegymiso,” also known as RU-486.
Mifegymiso is an alternative to surgical abortion and can be used to terminate pregnancies at an early stage – up to nine weeks from the start of the last menstrual period. The out-of-pocket cost for Mifegymiso for individuals without PharmaCare coverage is typically around $300.
To obtain a prescription, the province says patients must visit a physician or nurse practitioner for an ultrasound to confirm that they do not have an ectopic pregnancy, which is when the pregnancy occurs outside of the uterus.
Mifegymiso will be available at all participating pharmacies throughout B.C. beginning January 15.
Source – B.C. health ministry