On Oct. 1, Louisiana became the first state to classify mifepristone and misoprostol — drugs used in medication abortion — as controlled substances.
The classification places the drugs in Schedule IV, typically reserved for substances with potential for dependence or abuse.
According to the law, anyone who is not a healthcare provider who helps a pregnant patient acquire mifepristone or misoprostol could face legal repercussions and a fine of up to $5,000, NBC News reported Sept. 30.
Although physicians and pharmacists cannot prescribe the drugs for abortion because of the state's restrictions, they can prescribe them in the hospital for postpartum hemorrhage and incomplete miscarriage if they follow certain requirements, including keeping the medication in a locked cabinet.
Tamika Thomas-Magee, DNP, APRN, director of clinical services at Planned Parenthood Gulf Coast, told NBC News she believes the law is being used as a "scare tactic" to deter pharmacists and physicians from prescribing and dispensing medications.
"Am I going to face legal ramifications because I'm providing health care that is valid, that is evidence-based to a person who needs it?" Dr. Thomas-Magee said. "It makes the provider vulnerable, just as it makes the patient vulnerable, because it's our livelihood, and I don't want to be prosecuted just because I'm trying to save a person's life."
A special license will be required for physicians to prescribe the medications, Lisa Boothby, PharmD, president-elect of the Louisiana Society of Health-System Pharmacists, told the news outlet. They also will need to include a special diagnostic code that indicates the prescription is not intended for an abortion, and to log patients' names and the pharmacy dispensing the drugs.
Liz Murrill, the state's attorney general, said in a statement shared with NBC News that lawmakers added the drugs to the Schedule IV list following testimony that "illustrated that easy access to these drugs can be dangerous to pregnant women."