Louisiana reclassifies abortion pills as ‘controlled dangerous substances’

Louisiana on Tuesday will become the first U.S. state to classify two widely used abortion pills, mifepristone and misoprostol, as “controlled dangerous substances.”

Opponents of the measure say it could have catastrophic consequences in a state that already bans abortion almost completely and has one of the highest maternal mortality rates in the country.

Doctors fear the change will lead to delays in access to mifepristone, which stops pregnancy, and misoprostol, which causes expulsion of the embryo. These medications can, among other things, be used together to treat miscarriages.

They also fear that the practice of reclassifying drugs will spread beyond Louisiana.

Supporters of the new law say it should help prevent forced abortionshighlighting a case in Texas in which a pregnant woman received seven misoprostol pills from her husband without his knowledge; the baby survived. Over the past 15 years, the media have reported similar cases – none in Louisiana – although the problem does not appear to be widespread.

Both mifepristone and misoprostol can be obtained by prescription in Louisiana, but the state now reclassifies them in the same category as the opioid tramadol and other potentially addictive substances.

Mifepristone, usually taken with misoprostol, was approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2000, when federal regulators deemed it safe and effective for terminating pregnancies in the first weeks of gestation. . The drug, which blocks the hormone progesterone produced by the ovaries, also prepares the uterus to respond to the effect of misoprostol, which causes contractions.

Last year in the United States, nearly two-thirds of abortions were induced by medication. In June, the U.S. Supreme Court unanimously preserved access to mifepristone, rejecting a lawsuit filed by abortion opponents who argued that the FDA had overlooked serious security issues in making it easier to obtain.

Fines and prison sentences

Under current Louisiana law, doctors convicted of performing an illegal abortion, including with pills, face up to 15 years in prison, a US$200,000 fine and loss of their license. of practice.

The new classification means that if a person knowingly possesses mifepristone or misoprostol without a valid prescription for any reason, they can be fined up to US$5,000 and jailed for one at five years old.

The law provides protections for pregnant women who obtain the drug without a prescription to take it themselves.

Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill, a Republican who supports the current abortion ban and its reclassification, said in September that the intentional delivery of these medicines by organizations operating over the Internet or other networks is illegal and that they will be prosecuted.

Doctors say the law could harm patients because of the additional steps and stricter storage requirements, particularly in emergency situations where misoprostol is used to manage dangerous postpartum hemorrhage.

Up to 5% of obstetric patients will suffer from postpartum hemorrhage, which accounts for 11% of maternal deaths in the United States, according to the Joint Commissiona nonprofit organization that sets standards and accredits health care organizations.