11 March 2023.
Dr Diana Sarfati,
Director General of Health,
Ministry of Health,
Wellington.
Dear Dr Sarfati,
Official Information Act – Request.
I wish to request under the Official Information Act the following information.
Thank you for your response of 16 February, you advise that a number of women do revoke their decision to proceed with an Early Medical Abortion [EMA] after having the drugs mifepristone and misoprostol forwarded to them.
• Does the Ministry endeavour to recover the drugs mifepristone and misoprostol that are not being used for an approved abortion ?
• Since the introduction of the Decide National Abortion Telehealth Service on 1st October 2022, how many prescriptions for these drugs, or the drugs have been recovered following a woman’s rejection of an EMA?
• When a woman seeking an abortion post 20 weeks gestation is advised by a doctor that it is refused on the ground that it is inappropriate, may that woman then continue to seek another abortionist who is prepared to conclude that an abortion is appropriate and agree to perform an abortion?
Yours sincerely,
Ken Orr,
Right to Life.