CVS and Walgreens, two of the largest pharmacy chains in the United States, have announced that they will begin selling the abortion pill, mifepristone, at select locations where it is legal to do so. This move comes after both companies received certification from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to dispense the medication at their retail pharmacies.
CVS will initially offer mifepristone in Massachusetts and Rhode Island, with plans to expand to additional states as allowed by law. On the other hand, Walgreens expects to start dispensing prescriptions for the pill in New York, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, California, and Illinois within a week.
It is important to note that both pharmacy chains will not provide the medication by mail. This decision aligns with the FDA’s regulatory change in January, which allows retail pharmacies to offer mifepristone for the first time. Under this change, pharmacies can apply for certification to distribute the pill and dispense it directly to patients upon receiving a prescription from a certified prescriber.
The availability of mifepristone at retail pharmacies has the potential to expand abortion access, particularly as the Biden administration seeks to protect abortion rights. The right to abortion in the U.S. faced significant setbacks with the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn the landmark Roe v. Wade ruling in 2022. As a result, the Biden administration has made abortion and contraception access a key platform in the president’s 2024 campaign.
Medication abortion, which involves the use of mifepristone and another drug, is the most common method of terminating a pregnancy in the U.S. According to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, this method is approved by the FDA for use up to 10 weeks into pregnancy.
However, it’s worth noting that the FDA’s approval of mifepristone is currently facing legal challenges. Anti-abortion physicians have filed a lawsuit seeking to declare the approval unlawful and remove the pill from the U.S. market. The Supreme Court is set to hear oral arguments in this case on March 26, making it a highly anticipated and closely watched legal battle.
The introduction of mifepristone at CVS and Walgreens pharmacies marks a significant development in reproductive healthcare. By making the medication more widely accessible, it has the potential to provide greater options and autonomy for individuals seeking abortion services. As the legal battle over mifepristone’s approval continues, the availability of the pill at these retail pharmacies could have far-reaching implications for reproductive rights in the United States.
