As I am sure everyone on this list knows, Louisiana wasted no time in passing a bill to reclassify mifepristone and misopristol as controlled substances. The two medications are taken orally and commonly used to induce abortion.
In a medication abortion, mifepristone blocks the hormone progesterone, which is needed for a pregnancy to continue. Misoprostol is then taken within the next 24 to 48 hours. Misoprostol causes the uterus to contract, causing cramping and bleeding. Approved for other uses, such as miscarriage management, inducing labor, and preventing stomach ulcers, the drug has been available at pharmacies for decades. www.msn.com/...
I am an RN, not an MD. But I know that in every state I ever worked in, (MA, CA, ME, WA, and FL) the MD or NP or PA who prescribes narcotics needs to also specifically register and be assigned a DEA number that is included on every prescription. The federal government and state law enforcement agencies can use this number to access a database that tells exactly what each prescription includes and who it went to. It makes it easier for The Authorities to create a profile for each person who prescribes these. The cumulative data can be used to assess whether the prescriber is following The Rules.
In Florida my primary care provider made it clear to every new patient that they never prescribed narcotics. “Too much hassle,” he told me.
In Maine, we passed a “shield law” to protect Maine-based providers from being harassed by people from Texas seeking to arrest anybody who helped a person from Texas get an abortion or gender-affirming care. The GOP here prevented a referendum on abortion rights; it passed with a simple majority but needed a 2/3 majority in each house to get on the Nov 2024 ballot.