A state law passed in 2024 forced hospitals to remove a key drug — misoprostol — from the medical cart and keep it locked in a secure room designated for controlled substances. Your Email Address Sign UpIn medication abortions, misoprostol is combined with a medication called mifepristone, which Louisiana also reclassified as a controlled substance. More than 7,500 Louisianans received medication abortions in 2024, the year the law passed, according to the Society of Family Planning. Last October, Louisiana also tried to halt medication abortions by telehealth with a federal lawsuit against the FDA. Since Louisiana’s law passed, similar legislation has been introduced in at least nine states, despite established abortion bans.