TIME cites 'anecdotal evidence' to prove that Dobbs will take away patients' access to drug that treats cancer and autoimmune diseases

When it comes to preserving the constitutional right to abortion, our stunning and brave firefighters in the media will stop at nothing. That also means that when the Supreme Court rules that there’s actually no constitutional right to abortion, our stunning and brave firefighters in the media will just start making crap up to scare people.

And so, without further ado, here’s TIME:

Abortion restrictions may be making it harder for patients to get a cancer and arthritis drughttps://t.co/agbMduZFdx

— TIME (@TIME) July 7, 2022

Wow, this sounds pretty serious. More from TIME:

Methotrexate is an antimetabolite, a class of drug that suppresses certain cellular functions, which is often administered orally or by injection. It’s approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to treat some cancers, but it’s also commonly used for conditions including lupus, arthritis, and psoriasis. Doctors also use it to end ectopic pregnancies, in which a fertilized egg grows outside the uterus, resulting in an unviable pregnancy that carries the risk of life-threatening complications for the pregnant person. Methotrexate ends the pregnancy by preventing cells from dividing. (Twitchy editor’s note: When an article includes terms like “pregnant person,” you know it’s good journalism.)

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Some states, like Texas, have laws that specifically list methotrexate as an abortion-inducing drug, placing restrictions on its use. Texas’ law does note, however, that such drugs are prescribed for non-abortion-related reasons that are exempt from those regulations.

Other states make similar distinctions. In Kentucky, a “trigger” law banned nearly all abortions in the state after Roe v. Wade was overturned, though that policy is now tied up in court. But on July 1, the Kentucky Board of Pharmacy emailed pharmacists and pharmacy interns in the state to remind them that, under Kentucky state law, “if a pharmacist receives a prescription and it doesn’t say, ‘for the induction of abortion,’ they can assume that it’s not for abortion,” explains executive director Christopher Harlow. This means pharmacists may fill prescriptions for drugs like methotrexate normally, if there’s no indication that it’s meant for abortion.

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It’s also not clear how many patients have been denied methotrexate, though a number of people have shared their experiences on social media. Several health groups—including the Lupus Foundation of America, Arthritis Foundation, and American College of Rheumatology—recently posted statements about reported access issues and told patients to contact them if they ran into problems.

Murphy says reports of patients being denied methotrexate are anecdotal, so it’s hard to get a handle on how common they are. But, he says, “any reports of patients not being able to receive their medications and maintain that continuity of their care is very concerning for us as pharmacists.”