Health Ministry sued over abortion pill

A group of medical professionals filed a lawsuit against the Ministry of Public Health over uncertainty surrounding prescription of the so-called abortion pill, ANP reports.

The professionals, consisting of GP's, sexologists and an abortion doctor, filed the lawsuit with a number of women's rights organizations. They are fighting against the Health Care Inspectorate's stance that doctors are not allowed to prescribe the abortion pill as a treatment over time.

Since May last year it's been possible in theory to get a prescription for the abortion pill from your GP. But many doctors don't prescribe the pill as the Inspectorate stated that they are not allowed.

The medical professionals want Health Minister Edith Schippers to officially correct the Inspectorate's statement on the matter.

In June of this year Schippers wrote a letter to the Tweede Kamer - the lower house of Dutch parliament - saying she is in favor of doctors being able to prescribe an abortion pill.