Louisiana lawmakers have taken a controversial step by advancing a bill that would criminalize the possession of two abortion-inducing drugs without a prescription. The bill, which targets mifepristone and misoprostol, has sparked concerns among doctors who fear it could hinder their ability to provide timely and appropriate treatment to their patients.
More than 200 doctors have signed a letter expressing their worries about the potential barriers this bill could create for physicians in prescribing necessary treatments. Despite the bill allowing pregnant patients to possess the drugs with a valid prescription, there are fears of unnecessary confusion and fear among both patients and doctors.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved mifepristone in 2000 for ending pregnancy when used in combination with misoprostol. The bill’s reclassification of these drugs in Louisiana is part of a larger effort to create the crime of “coerced criminal abortion by means of fraud,” aiming to restrict access to these medications.
Louisiana already has a near-total abortion ban in place, with limited exceptions for cases where there is a substantial risk to the mother’s life or in instances of “medically futile” pregnancies. The bill, which passed in the state’s GOP-controlled House, will now move to the Senate for further consideration.
This development comes at a time when 14 states across the country are enforcing bans on abortion at all stages of pregnancy, highlighting the ongoing debate and legal battles surrounding reproductive rights in the United States.