By Kristi Judkins, Executive Director, Iowa Right to Life
Iowa Right to Life is disturbed and concerned by the egregious action taken by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on January 3rd to now allow pharmacies (both online and brick and mortar) to dispense the poison inducing abortion drug, Mifepristone.
Background
Mifepristone combined with misoprostol are drugs used in a Medical Abortion or Chemical Abortion. Mifepristone blocks progesterone, cutting off the blood supply to the unborn baby and depriving the baby boy or girl of necessary nutrients, ultimately causing a suffocating death. The second drug, misoprostol, triggers powerful, painful uterine contractions to expel the dead baby. The woman is left to likely go through the horrific procedure all alone. She may see her dead child, and she may be unsure of whether her pain and cramping and bleeding are normal or whether she is bleeding to death. Horror stories already exist of women who have experienced hemorrhaging, incomplete abortions, or a ruptured ectopic pregnancy missed because of the abortion pill.
And now, the FDA, the government agency designed to protect women, will be complicit in the likely increase of emergency room visits because of the flagrant dispensing of the drugs. Per the Risk Evaluation and Mitigation System (REMS) for Mifeprex, it would require that the drug be dispensed by pharmacies that have completed certification.
Only pharmacies certified could dispense the drug prescribed by certified prescribers. Prescribers pledge once again to follow FDA guidelines [regarding screening, counseling] but it is unclear whether or not they will be any more consistent in following this pledge than they were the first time.
National Right to Life Position
We stand with National Right to Life in our position. “The abortion industry wants to put at risk perfectly healthy mothers who are pregnant with perfectly healthy babies,” said Carol Tobias, president of National Right to Life. “None of these changes make this process safer for the woman. What these changes do is make the process easier and cheaper for the abortion industry.” Scott Fischbach, National Right to Life’s new executive director, also says “I’m not sure retail pharmacies will consider this a sound business risk to be selling dangerous abortion pills that can put women in the hospital. I don’t believe their customers will be happy to find out that their local drugstore where they get their life-saving medicines is now stocking and distributing pills for the purpose of killing unborn children in their community.”
Call to Action
We need to let these companies know how we feel. Iowa Right to Life stands ready to defend the life of the unborn and the welfare of women in vulnerable situations. As a board we will send letters to corporate level CVS, Walgreens, and Rite Aid and express our disdain about their decision. It is immoral and we will consider them culpable in the death of innocent babies and the harm done to pregnant women. Ironically, the three pharmacies have dedicated aisles specifically for pregnant mothers and babies.
We have provided resources put together by National Right to Life so you can let the companies know where you stand.
National Right to Life Committee
PDF version of the petition here.
Contact information available here.
Other online petitions:
Thank you for your pro-life passion!