Patients with autoimmune disorders are caught in the crossfire in the aftermath of the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade.
The decision, which came at the end of June, effectively gave states the power to restrict or ban abortions, and many states immediately enacted new or previously approved laws. As a result, some patients with certain autoimmune diseases in some states are finding it difficult to obtain their prescriptions for methotrexate as a result of these changing abortion care laws. Methotrexate is an FDA-approved therapy used to treat arthritis and other autoimmune conditions, as well as cancer at higher doses. However, it is also used for treating a patient after an early pregnancy loss, including ectopic pregnancy and miscarriage.
Reports of patients’ difficulty accessing medications disturbed some medical associations.
“We believe healthcare should be individualized and patient-centered, and we advocate for joint medical decision-making in the provider-patient relationship,” the Arthritis Foundation said in a statement. “As such, the Arthritis Foundation supports unencumbered access to and coverage of FDA-approved drugs for managing arthritis in alignment with scientific and clinical guidelines, as well as evidence-based medical recommendations.”
In addition, the Foundation urged patients who are facing difficulty obtaining their medications to call their toll-free helpline.
The American College of Rheumatology (ACR) has also voiced its discontent with the fallout over the Supreme Court’s decision. The organization has created a new Access to Reproductive Health Care Task Force.
“In states where abortion has been or will soon be criminalized, female patients with rheumatic disease should not be assumed guilty of trying to induce a medical abortion and forced to plead their innocence at the pharmacy counter when filling a prescription such as methotrexate,” Joseph Cantrell, JD, director of state affairs and community relations for the ACR, and Kenneth G. Saag, MD, MSc, professor of medicine at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) and former ACR president, wrote in a statement.
In addition, the Department of Health and Humans Services (HHS) announced it is investigating reports of women being denied prescriptions for methotrexate for treatment of arthritis and other conditions.
“We are committed to ensuring that everyone can access healthcare, free of discrimination,” HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra said in a statement. “This includes access to prescription medications for reproductive health and other types of care.”
HHS also issued a guidance to the 60,000 national retail pharmacies reminding them of their obligations under federal civil rights laws.
Amy joined TriMed Media as a Senior Writer for HealthExec after covering home care for three years. When not writing about all things healthcare, she fulfills her lifelong dream of becoming a pirate by sailing in regattas and enjoying rum. Fun fact: she sailed 333 miles across Lake Michigan in the Chicago Yacht Club "Race to Mackinac."