House OKs bill allowing PAs to prescribe abortion medication

 

The Delaware House of Representatives on Thursday passed a bill to allow physician assistants and advanced practice registered nurses to prescribe abortion medications in Delaware.

House Bill 320 passed along party lines. 

Under federal regulations, physician assistants and advanced practice registered nurses are authorized to prescribe Mifepristone, Misoprostol, or Mifeprex for use within ten weeks of pregnancy. 

Health care providers wishing to prescribe the medication must complete a prescriber agreement before ordering and dispensing the medication.

Rep. Ruth Briggs King, R-Georgetown, asked whether the bill would permit health care providers in school wellness centers to prescribe the medication to minor students. 

According to the bill’s sponsor, Rep. Debra Heffernan, D-Bellefonte, it would not. Additional legislation would be required for that.

“These procedures are not part of the school wellness center practice and so it would not,” Heffernan said. “There’s no potential to increase that at this time.”

Briggs King sought to clarify that such a decision would not be left up to individual school boards to decide. 

“This legislation only [seeks] to add qualified APRNs and PAs to the ability to prescribe this medication,” Heffernan said. “They can prescribe almost all other medications.”

The bill will now advance to a Senate committee for consideration.