British Columbia to let midwives prescribe abortion pill and other drugs

VICTORIA — British Columbia is giving midwives the ability to prescribe abortion pill Mifegymiso and other drugs, in an expansion of their scope of practice.

The province says the changes will make it easier for people to access reproductive health services in the province.

Once the changes come into effect, midwives will be able to independently prescribe Mifegymiso, also known as RU 486, which can treat an early miscarriage in addition to providing a medical abortion during the first trimester of pregnancy.

They will also be allowed to prescribe medications to stop the production of breast milk after childbirth, treat hypothyroidism, and perform obstetric ultrasounds to see where a fetus is located during an early pregnancy.

A news release says British Columbia joins Quebec and Saskatchewan as the only Canadian provinces where midwives have the ability to prescribe Mifegymiso for a medical abortion.

The changes were made in consultation with the BC College of Nurses and Midwives, and the government said it is working to expedite the changes so they can come into effect as soon as possible.

“We are hopeful that this will also help individuals access perinatal services and promote continuity of care, as they will not have to see multiple health providers over the course of their pregnancy,” the college said in an emailed statement Thursday.

Before they can enact the changes, the college said it needs to develop “standards, limits and conditions,” including assessing whether midwives need additional training to practice the new procedures.

It added that it would share the revised standards “as they become available.”

On April 1, the B.C. Health Professions and Occupations Act replaced the former Health Professions Act, a move which had also expanded the scope of practice for midwives.

That included changes allowing midwives to provide copper IUD insertions and prescribe hormonal pills at any age, instead of just three months after childbirth.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 7, 2026.

The Canadian Press