ICYMI: KOLD: Teen Girl Denied Medication Refill Under Arizona’s New Abortion Law
With draconian 1901 abortion ban in effect, a 14-year-old girl in Tucson was denied a “life-saving” prescription drug she had been taking for years
PHOENIX – Last week, a KOLD news story highlighted the cruel reality of how a 14-year-old Tucson girl suffered the effects of Arizona’s draconian 1901 abortion ban. Two days after the ban took effect, she was denied a refill of a “life-saving” prescription drug to treat her debilitating rheumatoid arthritis and osteoporosis. She has been taking the medication for two years and relies on it to attend school.
On September 30, the Pima County Superior Court declined to put a hold on its ruling that allows the law to take effect. This abortion ban, which criminalizes abortion and mandates jail time for providers, is making medical professionals think twice before providing patients with necessary care. The young girl’s physician, Dr. Deborah Jane Power, expressed outrage over her patient being denied care and emphasized that this abortion ban is having a chilling effect on providers.
“My concern was the pharmacist chose to not refill because methotrexate could be used to cause an abortion,” Dr. Power said. “And then the pharmacist would be responsible.”
Read an excerpt from the KOLD’s article below:
The young girl’s physician, Dr. Deborah Jane Power said “this was the first pediatric patient that had been denied her medication.”[…]“As a mother who has had to deal with my child being very ill most of her life, I was scared, I was really worried,” said her mother Kaitlin Preble. “I was shaking. I was in tears. I didn’t know what to do.”“It’s her first year and she’s in high school and it feels like a dream,” Preble said. “She’s not in a wheelchair, she has a social life and friends for the first time and a life all young people should have.”“Which is why there was so much anxiety for the 24 hours between being denied until finally getting the prescription approved.“I was scared, I was really scared,” Preble said. “I’m like if they deny this then we’ll have to find a different medication and we don’t know if it’s going to work.”[…]Because of the abortion laws, change has come to Arizona.“Do we know that now causing my patient to delay access to medical care or sometimes potentially no access to medication what kind of change will happen,” Dr. Power said. “It’s really frustrating and I’m very angry.”
Meanwhile, Kari Lake still supports this draconian ban — even though these restrictions are putting Arizonans in serious danger. Lake’s track record demonstrates her extreme agenda to restrict reproductive health care. She recently called this territorial-era ban a “great law,” making it clear she is in favor of criminalizing abortion providers and will force cops to go after medical professionals. In addition, she has referred to women seeking abortions as “ghouls,” “liars,” “murderers,” and “executioners.” Make no mistake: if elected governor, Kari Lake will seek to further take away Arizonans’ reproductive freedoms and put millions of peoples’ lives on the line.
“My heart hurts for the young girl and her family. I am outraged her mother had to wait in fear knowing her daughter — who suffers from devastating chronic illnesses — might not be able to get the critical medication she desperately needed,” said Katie Hobbs. “This story shows the devastating effects that this law is already having on Arizonans, and it’s just the beginning. Extreme lawmakers and candidates like my opponent will stop at nothing to restrict Arizonans’ access to health care — regardless of the consequences. When I’m governor, you better believe that I will call a special session on Day One to repeal this terrible law, and use every tool at my disposal to protect Arizonans’ health care freedoms.”
Read Hobbs’s full Bans Off Arizona plan to defend Arizonans from extreme abortion restrictions and support access to reproductive health care.