JULIA Gillard's last act as prime minister included signing off on cabinet approval for slashing the cost of abortion pill RU486 to as little as $12.

Listing the abortion drug on the taxpayer-funded Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) will see the price of a medical abortion in Australia drop from up to $800 to just $12 for concession card holders from August 1.

Women not eligible for concessions will pay around $70 under the PBS.

General practitioners will also soon be able to prescribe abortion pills if they undergo specialist training under the reforms.

This is expected to expand the use of RU486, which is currently highly restricted.

The Rudd government will also fund a new 24-hour hotline for women who are concerned about any symptoms they are experiencing after undergoing medical abortions.

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Health Minister Tanya Plibersek said the increased availability of the RU486 was an important issue for women in regional communities.

"It means women who previously would need to travel to a capital city may be able to have a termination closer to home," Ms Plibersek said.

"The GP will need to do a training course.

"There are conditions including that you are a gynaecologist or obstetrician or that you have done a course with the Marie Stopes foundation. There will also be a 24-hour back-up telephone line for women to call if they experience any symptoms they are worried about."

RU486 is only permitted for use in the first seven weeks or 49 days gestation. Under the PBS scheme, the two-part abortion pill RU486 will now cost concession card holders $11.80.

"No drug is without the potential for side effects," Ms Plibersek said.

"But there is a great deal of statistical evidence now internationally that show the complication rates are very low."

Last year Australia's Therapeutic Goods Administration confirmed that a woman died of sepsis after taking the drug in 2010.

However, the risks of taking the abortion pill are regarded as low. One risk of RU486 is that if the drugs don't work, a pregnant woman is then required to undergo a surgical abortion, or dilation and curettage, known as a "D and C".

"That is something a woman should discuss with her doctors," Ms Plibersek said. "There are cases where women still have to go and have a D and C after medical terminations and that risk should be presented to a woman when she's making a decision."

Overseas, the pattern over time is for more women to elect to have medical rather than surgical abortions.

"This is about giving women more options at a very difficult time," Ms Plibersek said.

Originally published as Gillard's cut-price abortion drug