Annie England Noblin was unable to lift her hands above her head because of her arthritis. She was playing with her kids. Her job was very difficult.
She started to feel better after her rheumatologist prescribed her methotrexate twice a week.
It wasn't the complete turn around that many chronic pain patients want, but it was helpful.
Some patients in states with abortion restrictions lost access to the essential medication after the Supreme Court repealed the law.
methotrexate can be used to cause abortions if it's used at very high levels.
ectopic pregnancies can be fatal to the mother if they form in the Fallopian tubes.
Some patients are struggling to access their medication if the medication can be used to end a pregnancies in states that ban abortion.
Noblin went to her local pharmacy to get her prescription.
In Missouri, where abortion is now banned, she waited for over six hours at her pharmacy. Noblin was told by a pharmacy that they are now required to get more information from her doctor.
She wondered what could be done to stop a repeat prescription from being filled.
She was told that the pharmacy had to confirm that the drug was not being used to induce an abortion.
She said she was given her medication after a long fight.
Noblin told Insider that she was angry because she was in front of a pharmacy begging for her medication.
Noblin said that it was not her fault. She's compelled to follow the policy, but to be told, essentially, 'We don't trust you to make the right decisions for your health' is horrible.
She felt like she was doing something illegal because she was taking medication.
In a statement to Insider, Walgreens said that there areTrigger laws in various states that require additional steps for the distribution of certain prescriptions. Our pharmacy works closely with prescribers in these states to fill lawful prescriptions.
Women in Virginia and South Dakota have found it hard to get their methotrexate prescriptions.
The Los Angeles Times reported earlier this month on a woman who said her rheumatologist wouldn't refill her prescription after the Supreme Court legalized abortion.
"This is a notice to let you know that we are pausing all prescriptions and subsequent refill of methotrexate," the message said. The decision was made in response to the reversal of the abortion law.
According to a rheumatology expert at the University of Chicago Medicine, children have been denied methotrexate until they prove they aren't pregnant.
Patients are showing up at the pharmacy to get their methotrexate prescription filled or refilled because they are worried about getting caught up and prosecuted due to the impact of these restrictive laws.
If a patient is stable on a medication, not being able to get a refill in time could make their condition worse.
Resneck said that "this is what happens when politicians start interfering in medical decision-making that is best between a patient and their doctor."
Donald Miller is a professor of pharmacy at North Dakota State University.
If you want to use methotrexate in an ectopic pregnancy, you have to use a lot of it and inject it, because you can't tolerate it by mouth. Miller said that if you get a prescription for a pill, there should be no problem with it.
It's almost impossible for a person to fill a prescription for an ectopic pregnancy at a retail pharmacy.
Miller said it was coming down to knowing your patient when it came to taking methotrexate as an injection. If a patient has been on the drug for six months, nothing will change.
Miller said that pharmacists have a duty to make sure prescriptions are legit.
It is a dangerous time for healthcare because of the political interference. You end up with more than one consequence. We are struggling with it.
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