In the Netherlands, medical abortion was previously exclusively provided by licensed abortion clinics or hospitals. From January 2025 on, general practitioners (GPs) in the Netherlands are also allowed to provide medical abortion care. They can prescribe medication to terminate a pregnancy up to nine weeks. The GP does not need a special licence, but additional training is mandatory. Every time a GP prescribes this medication, it must be reported to the Healthcare and Youth Inspectorate (IGJ) following the same procedure as abortion clinics. The patient remains anonymous in this reporting process.
This change allows women to go to their own GP, which may feel more comfortable and familiar compared to an abortion clinic. However, not all GPs will prescribe this medication as this is not part of standard GP care. In such cases, patients can be referred to another GP, hospital or abortion clinic.