Bill regulating drugs including medication abortion pills passes Ohio House

A bill regulating certain medications, which could include medication abortion drugs, was passed by the Ohio House on Wednesday by a vote of 59-28. It was just passed out of committee earlier in the day.

Though there were a several testimonies submitted opposing Ohio House Bill 324, the House Health Committee didn’t take long to approve the measure.

An amendment brought by one of the sponsors of the bill, Republican state Rep. Meredith Craig set out to clarify that the medications in the measure wouldn’t be prohibited outright, an amendment she said was encouraged by the Ohio Council of Retail Merchants.

In a previous hearing, Lora Miller, director of governmental affairs for the council, said the “extremely broad definitions” in the bill could impact access to things like blood thinners and antibiotics, causing unnecessary costs and delays in care for Ohioans.

The bill is an overarching drug regulation bill that would task the Ohio Department of Health with identifying medications that have “severe adverse effects” in more than 5% of users.

The data would be collected through insurance claims, FDA information, and reports from patients.

If a drug is determined to have severe effects in more than 5% of users, the drug would need to be prescribed through an in-person process, rather than through mail-order or telehealth means.

A follow-up appointment would also be required under the bill.

Opponents of the bill say the accessibility of some drugs, including the medication abortion drugs, could be stifled by research that was not peer-reviewed, and was self-published by special interest groups who may have biased opinions that seep into the research.

Two amendments brought by the Democratic members of the committee were swiftly tabled without explanation by committee chair Rep. Jean Schmidt, R-Loveland.

One would have required that any medical studies cited to determine severe adverse effects of drugs be peer-reviewed, evidence-based, and from a medical journal or academic institution.

Another tabled amendment would have exempted drugs that are already classified by the FDA from going through state scrutiny as well.

All testimony was accepted as written, and no one spoke in committee on Wednesday. The statements included 12 in opposition, one in support from Dayton Right to Life, and two “interested party” submissions.

Margie Christie, policy director for the Dayton anti-abortion group, specifically mentioned medication abortion drugs in her testimony supporting the bill.

She said the bill would provide “necessary safeguards” for medication abortion pills and the complications they can have.

Mifepristone and misoprostol, the common two-drug combination used for medication abortions, have been approved by the FDA for use for decades.

The safety of the drugs has been studied in research also spanning decades, showing statistically rare instances of severe complications.

This research was cited by medical professionals and academics who spoke out in opposition to the bill in a previous hearing.

The medication was the target of a different bill heard in a Wednesday hearing.

Ohio Senate Bill 309 would require medical providers to give a statement that would be signed by any patient before they are prescribed mifepristone.

The statement informs patients that they are able to bring legal action against doctors, medical facilities and others if complications arise from the use of the drug and a patient was not informed.

Bill sponsor Sen. Kyle Koehler, R-Springfield, said the evolution of the FDA approvals of the drug to include less in-person requirements shows the need for more laws requiring doctors to inform patients of their rights.

In 2021, the FDA allowed the medication abortion drugs to be distributed through telehealth visits, something state legislators tried to prohibit in the state, but which is currently ongoing as a lawsuit goes forward.

While Koehler denied that the bill infringed on the right to access the medication, he said the legislation was “an opportunity for abortion pill providers to ensure their patients are properly informed and reevaluate their desire to be held legally liable in offering this drug.”

“Any drug that I take comes with warnings and information on what it can do when it’s trying to help me get better, this is a drug that’s used in a different context,” Koehler told the Senate Health Committee.

“I think people still need to know that complications can come from it.”

Medical professionals have argued the bill is unnecessary because patients are already required to hear the potential risks to any medication as part of medical training.

According to some experts, the bill may have a chilling effect on the doctor-patient relationship, and make doctors wary of prescribing the medication, therefore impacting access.

Committee member state Rep. Beth Liston, D-Columbus, asked if Koehler had any peer-reviewed evidence on the dangers of the medication, “given that you’re basically contradicting what medical providers are otherwise doing.”

Koehler said more medical research would come as the bill continues to work its way through the legislative process.

This story is republished from the Ohio Capital Journal. View the original article.