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Alabama Board of Pharmacy formally adopts policy on miscarriage, ectopic pregnancy treatment

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Alabama Board of Pharmacy formally adopts policy on miscarriage, ectopic pregnancy treatment

Feb 15, 2023 | 1:23 pm ET
By Alander Rocha
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Alabama Board of Pharmacy formally adopts policy on miscarriage, ectopic pregnancy treatment
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Alabama pharmacists have questioned whether they could be disciplined for dispensing abortion-inducing drugs such as Mifepristone for non-abortion procedures in the treatment of ectopic pregnancies, or miscarriages. (Photo by Phil Walter/Getty Images)

The Alabama Board of Pharmacy Wednesday voted unanimously to adopt new guidance for  pharmacists on filling medication for ectopic pregnancies, miscarriages, and other conditions unrelated to abortions. 

“We had a position that the Board staff was taking based on the minutes, but we felt in order to have additional clarity and be sure that what was coming out of this office was exactly what the five-member board wanted,” said Donna Yeatman, who serves as executive secretary.

State Pharmacy Board policy on ectopic treatments

It is the board’s position that a pharmacist may fill medication for patients to treat ectopic pregnancies, miscarriages or other non-abortifacients treatments. There should be a proper and well documented diagnosis from the physician to validate the medical necessity of the medications and in doing so, would not present implications or regulatory action. This policy does not address what may be any civil or criminal liability imposed upon a pharmacy.

Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall suggested last month that his office could target abortion medication providers under the state’s near-total ban on abortion. Though Marshall later appeared to retract his remarks, they added to pharmacists’ uncertainty, Yeatman said last month.