Can't Get Methotrexate? Thank the Supreme Court

 

From a long-time reader:

I've worked in health care for decades, but just learned something new and astonishing this week. Ask me what methotrexate is for and I'll tell you rheumatoid arthritis or other auto-immune diseases. Who, outside of pharmacists and the OB world, knew it was part of an abortion cocktail?

Now some pharmacies are afraid to sell this drug. Even some doctors are afraid to prescribe it. You may know that 9 out of every 10 patients with rheumatoid arthritis are female. I guess the state legislature's families haven't been affected yet. If I had read the following news article before last June, I would have thought it came from the Onion.

US Abortion Ruling Threatens Access to Arthritis Drug

BTW, I don't personally take this drug. When it was offered to me, I refused to consider it due to pulmonary and fungal problems related to long term use. Those who take it should carefully consider the drug for this reason, but I'll bet not 1 in 100 patients know it can be used to help end a pregnancy.

Alabama needs to grow up and learn something when making laws concerning what doctors can and can't do.

Our takeaway? Maybe Tim Melson is trying to up sales for medical marijuana farms. He needs to weigh in on this.