168 - Beyond the Controversy: Exploring Efficacy and Safety of Medication Abortion

HelixTalk - Rosalind Franklin University's College of Pharmacy Podcast

Sean P. Kane, PharmD, BCPS

Health & Fitness, Medications, Rosalindfranklin, Rfums, Pharmacy, Pharmd, Pharmacist, Medicine, Drugs

5 • 644 Ratings

🗓️ 18 July 2023

⏱️ 46 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

There has been a lot of news about abortion (abortifacient) medications recently. Since the overturn of Roe v. Wade in 2022, individual states passed their own laws restricting access to abortion, this includes access to abortion medications. This clearly impacts the way pharmacists practice. In this episode, we summarize the science behind the two main abortive drugs, mifepristone and misoprostol, and provide a picture of how the access to these medications stand in the United States.

Key Concepts

Among other modalities to terminate pregnancies, medication abortion is a safe and alternative option that is picking up popularity given recent changes post-Dobbs vs. Jackson WHO decision.
The FDA-approved use of combination mifepristone and misoprostol regimen to terminate pregnancy up to 70 days (10 weeks of gestation) is based on strong evidence for its efficacy and safety.
Since the overturning of Roe vs. Wade in 2022, states have taken their own action to further restrict or increase access to abortion services including access to medication abortion.
These legal changes further impact dispensing of mifepristone and misoprostol by pharmacists across the country adding to more confusion. Legal councils, state boards of pharmacies, or state pharmacy associations may serve as suitable resources to consult regarding these fast-changing laws.

References

American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists’ Committee on Practice Bulletins—Gynecology, Society of Family Planning. Medication Abortion Up to 70 Days of Gestation: ACOG Practice Bulletin, Number 225. Obstet Gynecol. 2020 Oct;136(4):e31-e47. doi: 10.1097/AOG.0000000000004082. PMID: 32804884.
Kaiser Family Foundation. https://www.kff.org/womens-health-policy/fact-sheet/the-availability-and-use-of-medication-abortion
Guttmacher Institute. https://www.guttmacher.org/state-policy/explore/overview-abortion-laws

Transcript

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0:00.0	Welcome to Helix Talk, an educational podcast for healthcare students and providers covering real-life clinical pearls, professional pharmacy topics, and drug therapy discussions.
0:11.0	This podcast is provided by pharmacists and faculty members at Rosal Franklin University College of Pharmacy.
0:17.0	This podcast contains general information for educational purposes only. This is not
0:22.0	professional advice and should not be used in lieu of obtaining advice from a qualified
0:26.0	health care provider. And now on to the show. Welcome to Helix Talk episode 168. I'm your
0:34.7	co-host, Dr. Kane. And I'm Dr. Patel. And the title of today's episode is
0:40.0	Beyond the Controversy, exploring efficacy and safety of medication abortion. And so Dr. Kane,
0:49.0	you know, there has been a lot in the news about abortion medications, especially since the overturn of Roe vade in
0:57.2	2022, which, you know, the one year mark just passed us. The individual states are now
1:03.9	passing their own laws and bans and restrictions, access to the abortion, and this
1:09.3	includes access to abortion medications.
1:12.5	The REM's criteria for some of these medications have relaxed,
1:16.7	where dispensing is allowed by certified pharmacy.
1:20.6	So I feel like these things have reached our front.
1:23.7	And so this impacts how pharmacists practice.
1:27.3	And so the summary or the goal of this
1:30.0	episode is to bring everything together, the science behind the two main abortive medications,
1:36.3	Mepipristone and Misoprostol, and provide a picture of, you know, where this access
1:41.5	medication in the United States lie as of now.
1:45.3	And Dr. Patel, I'm sure the audience appreciates that we understand how controversial this
1:50.2	topic is. And so for the audience, I want the audience to understand that we've really
1:54.4	approached today's episode with the intent of focusing on the science in terms of the effectiveness,
	...

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