Missouri prosecutor orders Planned Parenthood to stop abortions with unauthorized drugs
The network of clinics is prohibited from administering abortion drugs without state approval.
Planned Parenthood clinic
Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey issued cease-and-desist orders against Planned Parenthood centers in the state, charging that they are promoting drug abortions without proper approval.
Measures to protect pro-life legislation
Bailey argued that Planned Parenthood has a history of failing to comply with state regulations, including failing to report medical complications. In his statement, he emphasized that these measures seek to ensure patient safety and strict compliance with state abortion laws.
Since November, when state voters approved a constitutional amendment restoring abortion as a right, Planned Parenthood clinics have resumed these procedures. However, Missouri law prohibits the distribution of abortifacient drugs without a complication plan approved by the Department of Health and Senior Services, a requirement the clinics have yet to meet.
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Planned Parenthood's response
The affected clinics deny they are violating the law and claim they have complied with all legal requirements. According to Margot Riphagen, executive director of Planned Parenthood Great Rivers, Bailey's order is unfounded, as her centers are still awaiting approval of the complication plan they submitted in February.
For her part, Emily Wales, president of Planned Parenthood Great Plains, insisted that medication abortion has not been available in Missouri since 2018 and that they will not offer it until they are authorized. However, pro-life organizations have expressed concern about any attempt by the abortion industry to expand these procedures in the state.
Planned Parenthood faces a financial crisis and allegations of malpractice
The number of patients has also declined dramatically. In the 1990s, the organization served five million women a year and operated nearly 900 centers across the country. Today, that number has dropped to 2.1 million patients and about 600 clinics. This decline is largely attributed to the rise of the mail-order abortion pill, which has reduced demand for surgical abortions at its facilities.
Again, the financial outlook is uncertain. States such as Arkansas, Missouri and Texas have blocked Medicaid reimbursements to Planned Parenthood clinics, eliminating one of its main sources of revenue. The organization also faces increasing scrutiny over the use of its funds, with allegations of diversion of resources to Democratic political campaigns, which has intensified the debate over its funding.
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