A new Louisiana law will re-classify misoprostol as a dangerous controlled substance

September 27, 2src246:srcsrc PM ET

A new Louisiana law in effect Oct. 1 will re-classify misoprostol as a dangerous controlled substance. It’s used in medication abortions, but also for postpartum hemorrhage and other obstetric issues.

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Louisiana already bans nearly all abortions. But starting in October, there will be additional restrictions on mifepristone and misoprostol. These drugs are used in medication abortions but also have other uses in pregnancy care. Under a new law in Louisiana, they will be reclassified as controlled, dangerous substances. WWNO’s Rosemary Westwood in New Orleans explains why doctors there are worried.

ROSEMARY WESTWOOD, BYLINE: If women start bleeding out after giving birth, one of the key drugs doctors can reach for is misoprostol. It’s effective, safe and cheap. And hospitals often keep it immediately available on special hemorrhage carts in labor and delivery rooms.

JENNIFER AVEGNO: You have it either right there in the room, in an easy-to-access cart, or you’ve got nurses who walk around with it in their pocket, going from room to room.

WESTWOOD: That’s Dr. Jennifer Avegno, the director of the New Orleans Health Department. Over the summer, she started hearing that hospitals were pulling misoprostol off the carts and out of the rooms. They’re moving the drug to locked cabinets because that’s what’s required for controlled, dangerous substances.

Most controlled drugs have the potential of being abused, like Ambien and Xanax. Misoprostol doesn’t. But in some hospitals, doctors or nurses will have to go farther to reach it and unlock the cabinet. Avegno says some are even running drills to see how much longer it will take. New Orleans OB-GYN Nicole Freehill says any delay is dangerous.

NICOLE FREEHILL: Somebody’s just bleeding profusely. And at that point, if it takes even two minutes to access that medicine versus 2src seconds that it used to take when it was on the hemorrhage cart in the room, those seconds matter.

WESTWOOD: Freehill says delays could mean more women have to get blood transfusions or surgery. Uncontrolled hemorrhages can be fatal. The new law is part of an effort to address the illegal use of abortion pills, including getting them mailed from another state.

Sarah Zagorski is with Louisiana Right To Life. She argues these are safety measures, although the pills have not proven dangerous.

SARAH ZAGORSKI: It was crafted for the protection of women. That was the goal of the legislation.

WESTWOOD: She said doctors should refer to guidance released by the Louisiana Department of Health. It says the medication should be available in hospitals, but provides few details on exactly how to store it. In New Orleans, the Health Department is setting up a hotline and will collect data to see if the law causes dangerous medical delays.

For NPR News, I’m Rosemary Westwood in New Orleans.

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