Abortion pills as an alternative to surgical abortion

Medical abortion as a method of termination of pregnancy has long since been used in some European countries. In Croatia, medical abortion has been available since 2015, although hospitals have until recently obtained such medicines by means of interventional importation. Only recently has the Croatian Agency for Medicinal Products and Medical Devices (HALMED) approved the key combination of medicines used in medical abortion. Their administration is only possible in hospitals licensedto perform abortions,under the supervision of a doctor or healthcare professional.

The combination of medicines includes Mispregnol (misoprostol) and Mifegyne (mifepristone). Mifegyne tablets contain mifepristone, a drug that blocks the function of progesterone, a hormone that is essential for the normal development of pregnancy.

Patients, whose pregnancy is determined following a gynaecological examination, can be given the aborion pill. The aforementioned pill causes uterine contractions, followed by period-like pain and bleeding. After this, an ultrasound is performed to confirm that the procedure has been successful. In many European countries, this method of intentional abortion is permitted until the 9^thweek of pregnancy

In comparison with the surgical method, medical abortion provides a safer and less stressful procedure for women. In addition, there are no complications such as uterine rupture, which can lead to a total removal of the uterus. When using abortion pills, the possibility of infection is reduced to a minimum, and the additional advantage of the procedure is its cost, which is twice as lower as that of the surgical abortion. On the other hand, although abortion pills represent a reliable method with fewer complications in comparison with surgical abortion, the procedure includes a disadvantage in terms of duration: medical abortion, along with side effects, may last up to several days.

Medical abortion is a better solution if it represents a less traumatic method for the woman’s body and health. The positive side of such medicines is the additional possibility of a non-invasive method oftermination of pregnancy, which is provided to women as a choice.

Ana Bolonja, MSc/ Senior Pharmacovigilance Associate