Any detectable quantity of ...

Intelligence, Compassion, or Ethics?

On May 24, 2024, Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry signed SB 276, which adds “any material, compound, mixture, or preparation containing any detectable quantity of mifepristone or misoprostol” to the state’s list of Schedule IV controlled substances, effective October 1, 2024. Tick-tock….

Sure, after October 1, if you are so unlucky as to have no choice to live in BFL, you can still get a prescription for Misoprostol - if your provider has the proper licensure over and above the state license to practice medicine, your licensed pharmacy has the additional storage requirements, and the prescription is tracked by the state. By the way, law enforcement can access that database and your medical information without a subpoena. And if your mail order pharmacy is based in Louisiana? And if you live in Louisiana and your mail order pharmacy is based in a thinking state? And I’m a bit unsure as to how that’s going to work with the strict privacy restrictions of HIPAA.

Really, I have so many questions.

This seems like an appropriate time to remind everyone that politicians have no requirement to have any type of licensure to ensure competence or ethical behavior. Please enjoy one of my favorite older posts:

Psst. They’re not listening

“The Catherine and Josephine Herring Act”

Yet the Susan B. Anthony (cough) Forced-Birth America group says that “Joe Biden and Kamala Harris have quested to erase Catherine Herring and the women like her who have experienced abortion drug poisoning and coercion.” Erase? LOL.

Call me silly, but I’m pretty sure Kamala Harris, as the former Attorney General of the 5^th largest economy in the world (California) still has a few thoughts about poisoning any sentient being, including Cricket, South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem’s dog she post-birth aborted at 14 months of age with a legal, unscheduled firearm.

This seems like an appropriate time to remind everyone that journalists, who are also big fans of crickets, have no requirement to have any type of licensure to ensure competence or ethical behavior. Please enjoy one of my favorite older posts:

Psst. They’re not listening

Now wait just a minute

Can Louisiana do this legally in the United States? It would appear so.

SB 276

§964. Composition of schedules

SCHEDULE IV

F. Mifepristone, Misoprostol. Unless listed in another schedule, any material, compound, mixture, or preparation containing any detectable quantity of mifepristone or misoprostol.

Section 4. This Act shall become effective on October 1, 2024.

According to Health Law Advisor:

“Title II of the Comprehensive Drug Abuse Prevention and Control Act of 1970, more commonly known as the federal Controlled Substances Act, sets the floor for restrictions on medications deemed to be addictive or deemed to have the potential for abuse, and states are allowed to set more stringent restrictions on the drugs, so long as they meet the federal floor.

“However, it is unusual for drugs without any known pattern of abuse to be designated as controlled substances. For example, if a drug were added to the state’s list of controlled substances through rulemaking, the drug would have to be evaluated for factors such as its “actual or relative potential for abuse,” “history and current pattern of abuse,” “scope, duration and significance of abuse,” and “[w]hat, if any, risk there is to public health.”

“Misoprostol, a drug used to treat and reduce the risk of stomach ulcers, has been approved by the FDA since the late 1980s

“Now in Louisiana, mifepristone and misoprostol will join other Schedule IV drugs, such as the opioid narcotic Tramadol and the depressants Diazepam (Valium) and Lorazepam (Ativan).

“Unlawful possession could result in a criminal penalty punishable by up to 10 years’ imprisonment.”

Just what does the FDA say about Misoprostol?

FDA Labeling for Cytotec®/Misoprostol:

INDICATIONS AND USAGE

Cytotec (misoprostol) is indicated for reducing the risk of NSAID (nonsteroidal anti- inflammatory drugs, including aspirin)–induced gastric ulcers in patients at high risk of  complications from gastric ulcer, e.g., the elderly and patients with concomitant debilitating disease, as well as patients at high risk of developing gastric ulceration, such as patients with a history of ulcer. Cytotec has not been shown to reduce the risk of duodenal ulcers in patients taking NSAIDs. Cytotec should be taken for the duration of NSAID therapy. Cytotec has been shown to reduce the risk of gastric ulcers in controlled studies of 3 months’ duration. It had no effect, compared to placebo, on gastrointestinal pain or discomfort associated with NSAID use.

And what does the FDA say about Mifepristone?

Mifepristone is already subject to an FDA Risk Evaluation and Mitigation strategy (REMS) program. REMS “focus on preventing, monitoring, and/or managing a specific serious risk(s) associated with certain drugs by informing, educating, and/or reinforcing actions to reduce the frequency and/or severity of a particular adverse event(s).”

Under the Mifepristone REMS Program, mifepristone must be dispensed by or under the supervision of a certified prescriber or by certified pharmacies for prescriptions issued by certified prescribers.

Welcome to the Louisiana Department of Redundancy Department, operated by the Party of Less Government <cough>.

Meanwhile,

Pfizer’s ARTHROTEC® is a combination medication (misoprostol, diclofenac sodium) is “indicated for treatment of the signs and symptoms of osteoarthritis or rheumatoid arthritis in adult patients at high risk of developing NSAID-induced gastric and duodenal ulcers and their complications.”

Bummer

Sorry about your arthritis MawMaw, but there’s a good explanation for the behavior of your rabid christofascist Louisiana legislators. A study published in the scientific journal Vaccine found that in a nationally representative sample of American adults found more than half of dog owners expressed some “canine vaccine hesitancy” defined as skepticism about vaccinating their pets against rabies and other diseases.

Save lives. Get your legislator vaccinated now!

And also don’t forget to

Postscript:

While you’re probably aware of the slurred lunatic ravings of this madman:

You probably think this person who just endorsed Kamala Harris for President is rational:

You should probably also notice Liz tweeted that 25 days prior to DJT.

Q.E.D.