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After one of the lengthiest drug approval processes on record, an abortion pill that allows women to terminate an early pregnancy at home is expected to become available in July.

But its release is already garnering criticism, with women’s health advocates saying Health Canada’s tight controls over its use are unnecessarily restrictive, “demeaning” to women and a lost opportunity to expand access to early abortions.

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The two-step drug regimen, to be sold in Canada under the unwieldy name Mifegymiso, pairs one drug, mifepristone with a second, misoprostol. When used within 49 days of pregnancy, the combination induces an abortion similar to a natural miscarriage.

However, under a restricted drug access program, only registered doctors who complete a certified, online training program will be allowed to prescribe and dispense Mifegymiso. It won’t be possible for women to get the drug from a pharmacist. As per Health Canada’s requirements, “the patient will not have the prescription in (her) hands,” the drug’s distributor, Celopharma Inc., said in an email.