Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry signed into law a bill that classifies two abortion-inducing drugs, mifepristone and misoprostol, as controlled and dangerous substances. The new law will take effect on October 1 and requires a prescription for both drugs, with hefty fines and jail time for knowingly possessing them without a valid prescription. The bill was introduced as a measure to create the crime of coerced criminal abortion by means of fraud, and an amendment was added to classify the drugs under Schedule IV of Louisiana’s Controlled Dangerous Substances Law.
Supporters of the bill argue that it will protect expectant mothers from coerced abortions, though only one such case has been cited in Texas. However, opponents, including over 200 doctors in the state, argue that the classification could make it harder to prescribe the medications for other critical reproductive health care uses, such as treating miscarriages, inducing labor, and stopping hemorrhaging. The physicians warn that any delay in obtaining the drugs could lead to worsening outcomes, especially in a state with a high maternal mortality rate.
The bill requires doctors to have a specific license to prescribe the drugs and the drugs would have to be stored in certain facilities, which could potentially be far from rural clinics. This could create a barrier to physicians’ ease of prescribing appropriate treatment and cause unnecessary fear and confusion among both patients and doctors. The measure is controversial as it could limit access to medication abortions, the most common method of abortion in the U.S., and could impact other reproductive health care uses of the drugs.
The bill passed as abortion opponents await a final decision from the U.S. Supreme Court on an effort to restrict access to mifepristone. The decision to classify the drugs as controlled and dangerous substances could have far-reaching implications for reproductive health care in Louisiana and spark debates about access to abortion and other related medical treatments. The legislation, pushed by Senator Thomas Pressly, highlights the ongoing debate between supporters and opponents of abortion rights and the impact of such legislation on access to crucial healthcare services.
