Dr. Margaux Lazarin said she isn’t worried about patients having info about doctors—she’s concerned about who else might see the prescription bottle.
The Nevada Legislature passed a bill in May that would protect the privacy of doctors and patients alike, but Republican Gov. Joe Lombardo vetoed the bill.
Assembly Bill 411 would have allowed doctors to put their practice name, and not their personal name, on the label of certain prescription drugs. Those drugs included mifepristone, misoprostol, or the generic alternatives—all used for women’s reproductive health care reasons ranging from childbirth to IUD insertions, miscarriage care, and abortions.
“While I understand and respect the privacy concerns that motivated AB 411, this bill may slightly reduce transparency in follow-up care and should be evaluated carefully,” Lombardo wrote in his veto letter.
Dr. Margaux Lazarin, medical director for Planned Parenthood Mar Monte—which has clinics in Nevada and California—said that from her perspective as a physician, she doesn’t understand his stance.
“I don’t think it makes sense to veto it for that reason,” Lazarin said. “We have medical records and we can always follow and track internally who is caring for a particular patient.”
Lombardo’s veto letter also said, “We must prioritize clear communication to protect those seeking care.”
Lazarin noted that clear communication is already readily available whenever a patient needs help. For example, when a patient needs clarity or help, they don’t call the doctor directly—they typically call the office or clinic.
“We have methods of being able to follow up and look into what happened, just like any other medical organization,” Lazarin said. “There’s always a way to both get the care that you need and connect with a team of individuals. That’s the standard, and so it doesn’t make sense to me that you would need to have the provider’s name on [the bottle].”
Why is a privacy bill important?
In addition to AB 411 not reducing medical transparency, Lazarin argued putting personal names on prescription labels can jeopardize the safety of medical providers and their patients.
“I’m worried about someone’s bottle getting into somebody else’s hand. So whether it’s an abusive partner, an angry family member, or maybe even a neighbor, our medical care should be private,” Lazarin said.
She added that there are situations where someone’s car or bag can get stolen and that could lead to doctors’ personal information being leaked as well.
AB 411 passed the Nevada state Senate and Assembly along party-line votes, with all Republicans voting against the bill.
Despite Republicans not supporting these additional privacy measures for abortion care providers, Lazarin is hopeful that those in power in Nevada will find more common ground to protect everyone in the field.
“It is helpful to have a state that mostly aligns with [reproductive freedom] and recognizes and understands the importance of it, but we always want to see additional support in this area,” Lazarin said.
“I just hope [politicians] continue to find commonalities that we have and respect the patients’ rights and providers’ rights,” she said.
