BOSTON - The U.S. Supreme Court handed down a decision Thursday morning protecting access to an abortion drug. Although Gov. Maura Healey has been a strong defender of access to abortion medication, she says the Supreme Court decision on Thursday leaves open a legal window to another challenger. 

“That's a good thing,” said Healey. “What's troubling here is that the Supreme Court still left open an idea that someone could challenge a person and medication abortion.”

Thursday the court decided that a group of doctors didn’t have the legal standing to challenge the FDA’s assessment of mifepristone. 

“Remember they said this group of people who are challenging simply because they have a difference of agreement on medication abortion,” said Healey. “It doesn't mean that somebody else can't challenge it. So that's concerning.”

Mifepristone is a pill that is taken within the first 10 weeks to end a pregnancy. According to the FDA, over 6 million women have safely used Mifepristone since 2000. 

The governor and state leaders stockpiling the drug when access was first called into question in 2023 to ensure the state had access. 

“Over 20 states in America right now have near-total abortion bans. A third of American women live in states that ban abortion. OK, that's the reality,” she said. The onslaught, the attack on women's rights and reproductive freedom continues, and Massachusetts and others will be strong in the face of that, in standing up to protect providers, to protect patients and protect access to needed care.”

Although the Healey Administration sees Thursday’s decision as a good thing, nothing is set in stone. When Healey was asked about the status of the current stockpile of medication, she said there would be more information to come.