ALBANY, N.Y. (WTEN) — Legislation could make it easier for those seeking the abortion pill. The abortion pill can be taken up to 10 weeks into a pregnancy according to the FDA. The proposed legislation would allow pharmacists to provide non-patient specific prescriptions, broadening abortion pill providers. 

Jim Harden, CEO of Compass Care pregnancy centers said this legislation would distance a woman from her health care provider. “What this does is it disrupts that ethical medical care flow… now the patients not being diagnosed, there’s not even a pregnancy being diagnosed, think about that, they’re being delivered a dangerous chemical, and encouraged to take this dangerous chemical without even diagnosing the fact that she has a viable pregnancy,” he said. Harden also said the side effects of chemical abortions are extremely dangerous, “A woman is 500% more likely to end up in the emergency room, one and 10 women will go to the emergency room after starting the chemical abortion process.” Furthermore he said women can experience sepsis and future infertility.

Sponsor of the legislation, Assemblywoman Amy Paulin disagrees. “No, it’s not dangerous. This is even a more direct relationship with a healthcare provider, the pharmacist, who, then can direct a patient if there was any kind of occurrence, that they would need to go to a healthcare provider, so it’s very safe, and it would make it much more accessible,” explained Paulin.

In November, a group of physicians filed a lawsuit against the FDA in part, asking them to reverse their  approval of Mifepristone, one of the two drugs used in chemical abortions. Harden said the outcome of this lawsuit could be more impactful than the reversal of Roe V. Wade with more than 600,000 chemical abortions taking place every year.