Flexibility Marks How and When to Take Abortion Drug - MedPage Daily

GENEVA, Switzerland, June 7 -- The choice of a vaginal or sublingual route for misoprostol, if used alone for early abortion, and the timing of doses leaves women several safe and effective options.

Action Points
Explain to interested patients, that the medical abortion regimen of mifepristone (Mifeprex), known as RU-486, followed by misoprostol, is the commonly used medical abortion regimen, but in countries where it is not available, misoprostol was used safely and effectively.
So said Helena von Hertzen, M.D., of the Department of Reproductive Health and Research of the World Health Organization here, and colleagues, adding that sublingual administration is most effective when the medication is taken at three-hour intervals. However, side effects are more unpleasant.

If 12-hour intervals for the three doses are preferred, the vaginal route should be used, they reported in the June 9 issue of The Lancet.