Like most pharmacists, I have dedicated my life to promoting health and well-being, but the recent emergence of abortion shield laws boils my blood as some of my peers traded patient care for outright criminal activity.

A recent New York Times article “Abortion Shield Laws: A New War Between the States” details how the currently enacted laws in a half-dozen states allow for the prescription mailing of Chemical Abortion Pills from states where abortion is legal to states where abortions are largely outlawed.  

The bold and blatant disregard for an innocent life raises unignorable significant moral, ethical, and legal objections.  

Downside of Telehealth for Vulnerable Women  

Telehealth is viewed as an overall positive addition to the healthcare toolbox for services like nutritional counseling, wellness visits, or even the occasional sniffle. It makes some medical services more convenient in a fast-paced world. However, telehealth isn’t an excuse to toss all other healthcare practices out the window. Given that the word “health” is defined as, “the state of being free from illness or injury,” the idea of murder facilitated from hundreds of miles away by a provider with only email and phone communication with the mother is alarming. 

This model has little to no medical supervision and the results are innocent lives taken while mothers endure intense pain and life-threatening consequences. A study titled, Chemical Abortions: With or Without Medical Supervision, outlines risks which may include undiagnosed ectopic pregnancy, increased complications due to underestimated or understated gestational age, Rh isoimmunization, and undiagnosed infection. 

The Implications of Roe’s Reversal and Abortion Shield Laws 
 
Roe’s reversal pushed the abortion decision back to the states, but like the kid who can’t keep his hands off others on the playground, some states are pushing into the legal business of their neighbors.   

These abortion shield laws pose serious legal concerns. It allows for the circumventing of state laws regulating abortion and creates a dangerous precedent that strips the individual authority of states to create and uphold legislation supported by their citizens. This practice will undoubtedly have far-reaching implications beyond abortion.  

Those who identify themselves as healthcare professionals will risk it all for the ability to kill thousands of preborn children in a life-valuing state. The New York Times article discusses how those who use shield laws to send chemical abortion pills will not travel to states with abortion bans where they could be more vulnerable to arrest. Frankly, if they are so confident that what they are doing is just, why fear stepping foot in another state? 

Abortion shield laws are a dangerous departure from healthcare and the sanctity and dignity of human life. The pro-life movement does not oppose medical advancements unless such advancements are truly frightening, like so-called healthcare professionals hiding in a dark building sending death by mail. They’re willing to take the life of an innocent human being and endanger mothers while willingly trampling state sovereignty.  

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