Ohio Preliminary Injunction Allows Advanced Practice Clinicians to Provide Medication Abortions

CINCINNATI, OH — On July 8, the Hamilton County Court of Common Pleas granted a third preliminary injunction in a case filed on behalf of abortion clinics and health care providers by the American Civil Liberties Union, the ACLU of Ohio, Planned Parenthood Federation of America, the law firm WilmerHale, and Fanon Rucker of the Cochran Law Firm regarding certain Ohio restrictions on access to medication abortion. This order specifically blocks the state from enforcing additional provisions of state law that could be read to allow the state to punish advanced practice clinicians–including Physician Assistants, Nurse Practitioners, and Certified Nurse Midwives–for providing medication abortions. With these provisions enjoined, advanced practice clinicians are now able to provide medication abortion in Ohio while the case continues.

As the court held in its previous preliminary injunction decision, these laws are likely unconstitutional under Ohio’s Reproductive Freedom Amendment. The case will now continue on the merits.

Statement from American Civil Liberties Union, the ACLU of Ohio, Planned Parenthood Federation of America, Planned Parenthood of Greater Ohio, and Planned Parenthood Southwest Ohio Region:

“We are relieved by the court’s decision to grant a preliminary injunction that will allow advanced practice clinicians to provide medication abortions to Ohio patients in need. Advanced practice clinicians are completely qualified to provide medication abortions under their state licensure and should not be punished by the state for providing vital care to patients in line with their scope of practice. The Reproductive Freedom Amendment grants sweeping protections ensuring reproductive autonomy for patients in Ohio and this decision removes an additional barrier to making medication abortion widely available in Ohio. We will continue to fight for the reproductive rights of all Ohioans and work to dismantle abortion restrictions.”