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Abortion Forward

@abortionforward.bsky.social

2.9K followers 340 following 220 posts

The leading organization for repro rights in Ohio. Formerly Pro-Choice Ohio. linktr.ee/abortionforward For media: [email protected]

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Abortion Forward @abortionforward.bsky.social · Nov 7

As of May 2024, Pro-Choice Ohio is now Abortion Forward.

We will never stop fighting. Visit AbortionForward.org or the link in our bio to learn more and get involved.

Purple to blue gradient that says "Bold New Era. Bold New Us." in large, chunky white font.

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Abortion Forward @abortionforward.bsky.social · 1d

Last witness being allowed to speak is Molly Rampe Thomas, from Just Choice. " I urge you to reject this damaging bill and the flawed process that brought it forward.

Abortion Forward @abortionforward.bsky.social · 1d

Rep. Brownlee: "What happens to rural patients who cannot access medicine through telehealth care?" Witness lists multiple barriers that patients face when forced to travel for care and what happens when they cannot.

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Abortion Forward @abortionforward.bsky.social · 1d

"Ohioans deserve accurate information about their healthcare, not politically motivated regulations using junk science to limit access to a medication with a proven safety and efficacy record over more than 25 years."

Abortion Forward @abortionforward.bsky.social · 1d

Witness: By requiring ODH to use potentially inaccurate information, the bill falls outside of “widely accepted” data & “evidence-based standards of care.” What happens when the available evidence used to determine the safety of a medication conflicts with other research on the medication safety?

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Abortion Forward @abortionforward.bsky.social · 1d

Next witness is our own @jmiracleoh.bsky.social: "House Bill 324 is in direct conflict with the Ohio Constitution because it seeks to use junk science to override widely accepted, evidence-based standards of care."

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Abortion Forward @abortionforward.bsky.social · 1d

"Mail-order pharmacies and telehealth make it convenient for patients to get care. What will this mean for elderly and disabled patients who rely on these systems to get care, if their medications show up on the list?"

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Abortion Forward @abortionforward.bsky.social · 1d

"What is the process for this list be updated and addended?
How will clinicians like me be made aware to changes in rules?
What penalties will exist if physicians or our patients don’t follow them?"

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Abortion Forward @abortionforward.bsky.social · 1d

"How will the ODH collect data to determine which medications need to be on this list, and how will we be sure that the evaluation is genuinely reflective of risk?
When new evidence comes out regarding the listed medications, how will that evidence be evaluated?"

Abortion Forward @abortionforward.bsky.social · 1d

"If the bills’ proponents are basing their claims on reports which lack scientific rigor and are ignoring overwhelming evidence that contradicts them, what evidence do legislators have to take away important resources from the ODH, State Medical Board, and other agencies to implement this law?"

Abortion Forward @abortionforward.bsky.social · 1d

Next witness is the sister of the previous witness, Ellena Privitera and I am a fourth-year medical student. "I am especially concerned that H.B. 324 disregards the expertise of medical professionals in Ohio and will place unnecessary burdens on patients, providers, and Ohio government agencies."

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Abortion Forward @abortionforward.bsky.social · 1d

ER nurse witness: "Given the proven efficacy of telehealth, I am also concerned that this bill is putting unnecessary burdens of time, money, and resources upon the OOH and healthcare providers."

Abortion Forward @abortionforward.bsky.social · 1d

"While this bill does not name any specific medications, proponents of this bill have largely focused on just one—mifepristone. Current evidence demonstrates that prescribing mifepristone via telehealth does not result in a higher rate of adverse drug reactions compared to in-person appointments."

Abortion Forward @abortionforward.bsky.social · 1d

Next witness: Sophie Privitera, an ER nurse: "I am concerned that in limiting telehealth services, this bill could add more barriers to care, in turn leading to the very same adverse effects which it seeks to prevent."

Abortion Forward @abortionforward.bsky.social · 1d

Ohio Council of Retail Merchants: The bill’s extremely broad definitions could impact access to drugs such as Plavix, Wellbutrin, Metformin, Atorvastatin, and Amoxicillin.

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Abortion Forward @abortionforward.bsky.social · 1d

Ohio Council of Retail Merchants: HB 324 would create burdensome requirements and conflicts for prescribers. Requiring an in-person exam and follow-up for flagged drugs creates barriers in areas with physician shortages.

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Abortion Forward @abortionforward.bsky.social · 1d

Ohio Council of Retail Merchants: HB 324’s prohibition on mail order would harm vulnerable populations. Banning mail-order access will disrupt continuity of care and cause medication
adherence issues.

Abortion Forward @abortionforward.bsky.social · 1d

Ohio Council of Retail Merchants: HB 324 would create a loss of OTC access. Prohibiting certain drugs, such as Ibuprofen, from being sold over the counter will shift patients to more expensive, less accessible prescription pathways.

Abortion Forward @abortionforward.bsky.social · 1d

Ohio Council of Retail Merchants: HB 324 would create an arbitrary threshold that would harm patients. Many life-saving medications have known risks but provide irreplaceable
benefits. The bill could limit access to essential, life-saving therapies.

Abortion Forward @abortionforward.bsky.social · 1d

Ohio Council of Retail Merchants: HB 324 would create unnecessary duplication of federal oversight. The bill analysis references that the FDA has the authority to regulate drug sales
and recalls and, as such, would prompt serious preemption questions.

Abortion Forward @abortionforward.bsky.social · 1d

Next witness is Lora Miller, representing the Ohio Council of Retail Merchants, who join medical experts in opposing House Bill 324.

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Abortion Forward @abortionforward.bsky.social · 1d

Rep. Craig asks how the bill is unconstitutional. PPAO witness illustrates how attacks on medication abortion violates patients' ability to access the reproductive care they have a right to choose.

Abortion Forward @abortionforward.bsky.social · 1d

Rep. Gross starts off her questions by attacking gender-affirming care.

Abortion Forward @abortionforward.bsky.social · 1d

PPAO: "Prior efforts by the Ohio legislature to restrict access to medication abortion by telehealth have been rejected by the courts even before the passage of the Ohio Reproductive Freedom Amendment."

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Abortion Forward @abortionforward.bsky.social · 1d

PPAO: "Healthcare providers could be forced to navigate a constantly shifting landscape of regulations, hindering their ability to provide consistent care across various populations."

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Abortion Forward @abortionforward.bsky.social · 1d

PPAO: "The bill even explicitly limits the sources ODH could rely on in making determinations about medication safety and does not allow a review of the best, peer-reviewed academic research."