PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — With a SCOTUS lower-court ruling regarding abortion medication still up in the air, Oregon Gov. Kotek announced Thursday that she would be taking further steps to protect abortion and miscarriage management throughout the state.
Kotek’s office said that the state has partnered with OHSU to secure a three-year supply of Mifepristone, an FDA-approved medication used to manage miscarriages and end pregnancies. A total of 22,500 doses were secured.
“This is an incredibly important move both for patients and providers in the state, who may not even provide abortion care but might provide miscarriage management or care of patients undergoing pregnancy complications,” said Alison Edelman, a professor of obstetrics & gynecology at Oregon Health and Science University.
The partnership is in response to the Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine v. FDA lawsuit in Texas, in what Kotek’s office says is a “part of the escalating efforts to ban abortion nationwide.” Kotek also directed OHA to work with the DOJ to explore how the state can safeguard access to abortion and reproductive health care.
“By challenging the FDA’s authority over Mifepristone, the lower court decisions set an alarming precedent of putting politics above established science, medical evidence, and a patient’s health, life, and well-being–with potential implications beyond this one medication,” Kotek said. “This meritless lawsuit is part of a larger campaign to ban abortion in every state, including those with legal protections for abortion access. We cannot afford to stand by and watch our fundamental right to reproductive health care be stripped away.”
Additionally, Kotek’s office says she is directing Oregon licensing boards to issue guidance to providers, clarifying that the state supports them in providing reproductive health care and using Mifepristone, regardless of what happens in Texas.
“Here in Oregon, I will make sure that patients are able to access the medication they need and providers are able to provide that medication without unnecessary, politically-motivated interference and intimidation,” Kotek said. “To our providers, to the patients who live in Oregon or have been forced to come to our state for care, and to those who are helping people access the care they need, know that I have your back.”
Chief Operating Officer Kenji Nozaki of Planned Parenthood Columbia Willamette said the clinic will continue providing all services “as normal.”
“We know firsthand that these kinds of cruel and restrictive laws impact people who already experience the greatest barriers to care,” he said. “Our health centers are open and we will continue to provide access to care to everyone who needs it.”
Nozaki said they are grateful to the governor for securing access to Mifepristone, as well as Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum for protecting provider’s rights to administer and prescribe the medication.
The thanks comes after Rosenblum and Attorney General Bob Ferguson co-led a lawsuit in the eastern district of Washington to preserve access to abortion medication – with a federal judge issuing an injunction last week barring the FDA from limiting access to Mifepristone in 18 states
“We know that Mifepristone is a safe and effective medication for abortion and miscarriage management and that it has been used by more than 5 million people since the FDA approved it more than 20 years ago,” Nozaki said.
With the conflicting rulings on Mifepristone – the future of the medication is uncertain and likely to go before the U.S. Supreme Court.
But until then, local providers say abortion and miscarriage care is legal in Washington and Oregon – and they will continue to provide care to any patients in need.
“About 50-60% of abortions in Oregon are used and chosen by patients who use this regimen, and so it’s an incredibly important part of our toolkit and treating patients,” Edelman said. “We’re really happy that the state is standing behind us and making it available no matter what happens with national legislation that’s coming across.”