The Oklahoma Supreme Court has ruled out an abortion drug law intended at restricting the use of abortion-inducing drugs in the state. The higher court's decision reversed the lower court's claim that the measure was unconstitutional.
As per Reuters, the higher court decision on the abortion drug law did not violate state constitutional provisions as it is the same all across the state. The measure requires certain drugs including Mifeprex to be administered under the U.S. Food and Drug Administration guidelines. These drugs according to critics are obsolete and can harm women. Republicans who supported the abortion drug law claimed that the limitation would further protect women. Opposing parties on the other hand said that the FDA-recommended dosages are far more dangerous because of their side effects.
"We also must recognize that, by the States' own evidentiary materials, more restrictions on abortions result in higher complication rates and in decreased women's safety," the court wrote.
The Center for Reproductive Rights based in New York has filed a suit with other abortion-rights group including the Oklahoma Coalition for Reproductive Justice over the abortion drug law, Herald Courier claims. The group claimed that the law violated the constitution because of its special limitations. The abortion-rights group also alleged that the law has impeded with the doctor's decision to cure their patients and it illegally appointed the FDA as the legislative authority.
"Oklahoma women should never be denied a safe way to end a pregnancy because politicians in their state are fixated on eliminating legal abortion," said Autumn Katz, a staff attorney with the Center for Reproductive Justice. Katz added that Oklahoma officials are not valuing medical proofs and are denying women of safe and legal care exposing them to greater danger.
In 2014, the abortion drug law was approved and signed into law by Republican Gov. Mary Fallon. According to Washington Examiner, the law bans doctors from use of off-label drug RU-486 and physicians are instructed to prescribe them in accordance with FDA's protocol. The measure also restricts the use of the abortion drugs on women conceiving more than 49 days.
Oklahoma follows other states, including Arizona, Arkansas, Ohio, Texas and North Dakota that have passed abortion drug law to limit the use of off-label abortion medications. After Oklahoma law on the abortion drug has been approved, Arkansas and Arizona are the only states among the six that has pending legal battle about the issue.
