Starting October 1, 2024, hospitals in Louisiana are legally required to remove a life-saving medication, misoprostol, from their crash carts. Misoprostol is prescribed in various capacities and is essential to reproductive health. Medical practitioners use it to effectively place intrauterine devices (IUDs), manage miscarriages, and induce labor. It is also used to prevent maternal death due to hemorrhaging. However, in the days post-Roe v Wade, it is probably best known as a method of abortion.
August 22, 2022, just two months after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, Louisiana instituted a total abortion ban. The only exceptions are if a woman’s life is at risk or if the fetus is not expected to survive the pregnancy. The law’s minimal use of medical terminology, numerous potential interpretations, and the threat of doctors facing up to 15 years in jail have created fear and confusion. Many doctors now hesitate to provide care in life-threatening situations, worried their decisions could result in criminal charges. In 2023, Louisiana lawmakers sought exemptions in cases of incest and were denied. In May of 2024, Louisiana became the first and only state to classify misoprostol and mifepristone, commonly known as abortion pills, as controlled dangerous substances. This unprecedented move could prove deadly.
If not attended to quickly and effectively, hemorrhaging can easily become fatal. The more time patients wait for medication, the more blood they lose. Controlled substances are stored differently and require more time to access. Many facilities in rural parts of the state do not have in-house or overnight pharmacies. Dr. Tara Morse, a practicing OBGYN in New Orleans, explained, “I’ve been [at a rural hospital] trying to get a simple headache medication released, and it’s taken 45 minutes.” While there are other options for managing hemorrhaging, these meds are safest for patients with high blood pressure or asthma who are unable to use alternative methods.
Louisiana’s decision to classify misoprostol as a controlled substance raises critical concerns about reproductive health, particularly as the state already faces one of the highest maternal mortality rates in the U.S. The removal of misoprostol from hospital crash carts could lead to delays in emergency care, especially in rural hospitals, putting patients at greater risk of dying from treatable complications. Doctors will have yet another obstacle to navigate as they care for patients in critical situations, adding additional legal and logistical delays to an already challenging environment.
SOURCES
https://time.com/6282288/louisiana-abortion-exceptions-confusion-doctors