A 14-year-old girl has been denied the life-saving arthirits drug she's been taking for years just days after strict new anti-abortion laws came into affect.
Emma Thompson has debilitating rheumatoid arthritis and osteoporosis which means she needs a drug called methotrexate to help tame the effects of the disease.
But methotrexate is also be used to end ectopic pregnancies by inducing an abortion, which means many have struggled to pick it up at pharmacies across US states with strict new laws.
Emma's mum Kaitlin Preble told local news outlet KOLD : “As a mother who has had to deal with my child being very ill most of her life, I was scared, I was really worried,”
“I was shaking. I was in tears. I didn’t know what to do.”
The young gir's doctor, Dr. Deborah Jane Power, said in an angry post on Twitter : "Welcome to Arizona."
She continued: "Methotrexatere denied purely because she's a female, barely a teenager. Livid! No discussion, just a denial. Now to fight for what's best for this patient".
Thankfully Walgreens, where the prescription was denied, did a U-turn and Emma could get her essential drugs. But for 24 hours, mum Kaitlin's world was turned upside down.
She said: “I was scared, I was really scared.”
“I’m like if they deny this then we’ll have to find a different medication and we don’t know if it’s going to work.”
Another distruaght mum caught up in a similiar situation went on social media to vent.
She said: "Daughter on methotrexate till they decided not to fill her prescription yesterday. RA and Crohn's. She is in her 'childbearing' years. We are freaking out."
In a statement provided to KOLD, Walgreens said: "Trigger laws in various states require additional steps for dispensing certain prescriptions and apply to all pharmacies, including Walgreens. In these states, our pharmacists work closely with prescribers as needed, to fill lawful, clinically appropriate prescriptions.
"We provide ongoing training and information to help our pharmacists understand the latest requirements in their area, and with these supports, the expectation is they are empowered to fill lawful, clinically appropriate prescriptions."
The American College of Rheumatology has issued warnings about the issues which may come up when prescribing the drug that Emma and millions like her need.
The landmark case Roe vs Wade, which gave women across the US access to abortions, was overturned in June 2022 by the Conservative-packed Supreme Court.
Since then, many states have effectively banned abortions for millions of women causing numerous healthcare problems.
