FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Doctors for America
PO Box 21161
2300 18th St. NW Lbby
Washington, DC 20009-9996
May 28, 2024
Doctors for America Condemns Louisiana’s Reproductive Drug Reclassification
WASHINGTON, D.C: In a stunning setback for pregnant individuals, Louisiana lawmakers voted to classify two drugs, mifepristone and misoprostol as controlled substances. This bill moving through the Louisiana legislature would list both medications as Schedule IV drugs under Louisiana’s Uniform Controlled Dangerous Substances Law. Doctors for America (DFA), a 501(c)(3) nonpartisan nonprofit that mobilizes doctors and medical students, condemns this oppressive and threatening act against individuals who are in need of medical intervention with their pregnancy.
Aside from being abortion medications, both mifepristone and misoprostol have other common uses. “We practice evidence-based medicine and the standard of care calls for the use of mifepristone and misoprostol to treat miscarriages, induce labor, stop hemorrhaging, and prepare the cervix for a range of procedures inside the uterus, including IUD insertion or taking a biopsy of the uterine lining. Legislators have no right making medical decisions on what’s best for patients, when they haven’t been through medical school or residency.” Said DFA’s Health Justice and Equity’s Vice Chair and OB/GYN, Subhjit Sekon, MD.
Abortion is already illegal in Louisiana, except when medically necessary to protect the life of the mother. Now Louisiana becomes the first state to designate the common abortion medication as controlled substances. The bill restricts access to the medications, requiring a valid prescription and those found with the medications could face fines and/or jail time. This legislation could be the test case for other states to weaken the bodily autonomy over control of one’s body.
According to the World Populations Review, Louisiana’s maternal mortality rate of 58.1 deaths per 100,000 births is the highest in the United States. The rate is about four times higher for black mothers than it is for white mothers, an issue that boils down to implicit bias. 59% of black maternal deaths are preventable, compared to 9% of white maternal deaths. LA’s recent legislation will limit who has access to reproductive health care, and delay where and when it is needed, which will lead to worsening healthcare outcomes for pregnant people.
# # #
About Doctors for America:
Doctors for America mobilizes doctors and medical students to be leaders in putting patients over politics to improve the health of our patients, communities, and nation. We are 27,000 physicians and medical students in all 50 states, representing all areas of specialization. Our impact areas focus on access to affordable care, community health and prevention, and health justice and equity. DFA focuses solely on what is best for our patients, not on the business side of medicine, and does not accept any funding from pharmaceutical or medical device companies; which uniquely positions DFA as the organization that puts patients over politics and patients over profits. Find out more at doctorsforamerica.org and on X @drsforamerica.