Health care providers who prescribe medication abortion drugs like mifepristone and misoprostol could soon have their names removed from prescription bottles if a bill making its way through the Maine Legislature is approved.
The proposal would allow practitioners prescribing abortion drugs to request that their names are replaced with that of their health care facility on prescription bottles.
Rep. Sally Cluchey, a Democrat from Bowdoinham, says the bill protects providers from harassment and threats.
"They have been stalked, targeted with bomb threats and harassed at their homes. In far too many cases these incidents escalate into death threats," Cluchey said.
The bill also comes amid a new legal landscape that pits states with restrictive abortion laws or outright bans against those with more permissive regulations.
In some instances, prosecutors from restrictive states have attempted to bring criminal charges against residents who travel out of state for the procedure — or their providers.
While 18 states including Maine have adopted shield laws to protect patients and doctors, medication abortion is emerging as a new front in the conflict between states. It accounted for 63% of all abortions in 2023.
During the public hearing, Maine Family Planning testified that it counsels out-of-state patients who obtain medication abortions in Maine to dispose of their prescription bottles here to avoid possible legal action.
Two states, Washington and New York, have enacted similar labeling laws.
The Democrat-controlled House narrowly advance the bill, 75-71. Republicans opposing the bill argued that it shields providers from "accountability."
It now moves to the Senate.
