ICYMI: Governor Moore Announced Plan in Partnership with University of Maryland Medical System to Ensure Access to Mifepristone in Maryland

Published: 4/17/2023

ANNAPOLIS, MD — On Friday, the Moore-Miller Administration and Maryland Department of Health (MDH) announced a plan in partnership with University of Maryland Medical System to purchase a substantial amount of mifepristone to protect essential health care access for women. 

​The partnership for the purchase of mifepristone is another effort by the Moore-Miller administration to protect reproductive rights in Maryland, a top priority for the administration. Gov. Moore also released $3.5 million in previously withheld funding for the Abortion Care Clinical Training Program, established in 2022 by the ​Abortion Care Access Act

Here’s what Marylanders are reading across the state about Governor Moore standing up for abortion rights in Maryland: 


Maryland stockpiles contested abortion pill as fate of FDA approval hangs in federal court
Hannah Gaskill // The Baltimore Sun

Gov. Wes Moore announced Friday that the state has begun the process of stockpiling the drug mifepristone as the federal courts wrestle over the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s long-standing approval of the medicine, one of the pills prescribed for medication abortions.

“This purchase is another example of our administration’s commitment to ensure Maryland remains a safe haven for abortion access and quality reproductive health care,” Moore said Friday in a statement to The Baltimore Sun.

Gov. Moore: Maryland will lead the way on abortion rights
CBS Baltimore // CBS Baltimore Staff

Gov. Wes Moore said on Sunday that Maryland plans to pave the way forward on abortion rights. 

"My thinking is that Maryland is going to lead with this," he said. "This is the first time that we've actually seen a Supreme Court actively working to take rights away from people. Maryland is going to be a state where we are going to protect reproductive health and reproductive rights."

Moore noted that in addition to stockpiling the abortion pill mifepristone "upwards of three years," state lawmakers have been taking steps toward protecting abortion rights by passing legislation.

Gov. Wes Moore says Maryland will continue with abortion access
Leah Vredenbregt // ABC News

Maryland Gov. Wes Moore detailed his plan to protect abortion access after his announcement that his state will stockpile abortion pills in the wake of a federal court ruling.

"Maryland is going to lead on this," Moore pledged Sunday in an exclusive interview on This Week.

On Friday, Moore, who is roughly three months into his first term as governor, announced the state would begin stockpiling mifepristone after a judge struck down FDA approval of the abortion pill. On Wednesday, a federal judge put a temporary stay on that order, leaving a split decision for that the Supreme Court could decide on.

"Maryland is going to be a state where we are going to protect reproductive health and reproductive rights," Moore told co-anchor Jonathan Karl. "We passed three bills that was focusing on things like increasing access, increasing privacy, and also making sure that when people come to Maryland they're not going to be criminalized."

Moore administration purchases surplus of Mifepristone
Stefan Funkhouser // WDMT ABC 47

On Friday the Moore administration announced a partnership with the Maryland Department of Health in order to purchase a substantial amount of  the abortion drug Mifespristone.

This announcement comes on the heels of a Texas case in which a federal judge suspended FDA approval of the drug last week, which the Supreme Court then temporarily restored full access to the drug on Friday in order to review the court decision.

Maryland to stockpile abortion pill after court threat
Scott Maucione // WYPR 

Gov. Wes Moore says his administration is taking steps to stockpile a widely used abortion drug after a federal court ruling threatened its availability.

The Maryland Department of Health and the University of Maryland Medical System are currently assessing how it will purchase large quantities of mifepristone, a progesterone blocker that can end pregnancies under 10 weeks.

“As a member of the Reproductive Freedom Alliance, Maryland will not stand for this assault on women’s healthcare,” Moore said. “This purchase is another example of our Administration’s commitment to ensure Maryland remains a safe haven for abortion access and quality reproductive health care.”