More doctors join in push to free up abortion pill

CANBERRA - Applications for the abortion pill RU486 will flood in if a Queensland gynaecologist succeeds in her bid to free up access to the drug, doctors believe.

RU486 is available in much of western Europe and North America, but under Australian laws initiated by former independent senator Brian Harradine, women wanting to access the drug must apply through their doctors for federal government approval.

Caroline de Costa, a professor of obstetrics and gynaecology at Queensland's James Cook University, will formally lodge her application with the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) in December.

A TGA spokesman says the process of assessing the application could take several weeks, while a final decision rests with Health Minister Tony Abbott.

Brisbane obstetrician Adrienne Freeman, who failed in her bid to access the pill in 2001, is optimistic Prof de Costa will succeed, paving the way for future applications.

"If Caroline is successful, and I'm confident she will be, every other doctor who wants to use the drug will start lodging their applications soon after," Dr Freeman said.

"It will be more or less a rubber stamp because the first person has succeeded."

The TGA has already approved the use of RU486 for some cancer treatment.

"As I understand, the TGA has been waiting for an application for its use in gynaecology and possibly even hoping to get one," Dr Freeman said.

Mr Abbott has previously said that the government would seriously consider any application to license the pill in Australia.

Prime Minister John Howard has also left open the possibility of lifting the effective ban on the drug in parliament, promising federal cabinet would discuss the matter.

Prof de Costa said licensing RU486 in Australia would particularly help women in rural areas access a safe and effective alternative to surgical abortion.

"This is a test case, it would be a very useful drug for us," she said.

"It doesn't encourage abortion. There are good figures from Europe which show the rate of abortion has remained the same, but a large proportion of women have chosen this over a surgical abortion.

"My experience from counselling women is that the decision to have an abortion is completely separate from the method."

- AAP