Walgreens says it does not plan to sell abortion pills in some states its legal
Abigail Adcox
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Walgreens announced it does not plan to dispense a major abortion medication in some states where the pills remain legal amid a shifting landscape after a number of state officials threatened legal action.
The company said that it does not plan to seek certification from the Food and Drug Administration to dispense mifepristone, the first of two abortion-inducing drugs used to terminate a pregnancy through 10 weeks, by mail or at their brick-and-mortar locations in several states where abortions and the abortion medication remain legal, including Alaska, Iowa, Kansas, and Montana.
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Walgreens told Politico that it has since responded to all state officials that had sent the company letters. Over 20 Republican attorneys general had called on the company not to proceed with dispensing the abortion medication.
Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach had told the pharmaceutical chain not to seek providing the abortion medication in the state, claiming he would seek legal action against the company. Kobach said late last month that he had received confirmation from Walgreens that they would not be dispensing the abortion medication in Kansas.
“This is a significant victory for the pro-life cause and for women’s health,” Kobach said in a statement. “The dispensing of these pills without a supervising physician present would expose women to complications and potentially to coercion as well. I’m grateful Walgreens has responded quickly and reasonably and intends to fully comply with the law.”
In response to the decision not to sell the abortion medication in states where it is legal, a number of people have taken to Twitter to call for boycotting the company.
“American women will let [Walgreens] know exactly how we feel about their cowardice in the face of right wing threats. #BoycottWalgreens,” one person tweeted.
A spokesperson for Walgreens had said the company was aware it would not be able to dispense abortion medication at all locations due to certain state laws surrounding the drug.
“We are not dispensing Mifepristone at this time. We intend to become a certified pharmacy under the program, however, we fully understand that we may not be able to dispense Mifepristone in all locations if we are certified under the program,” the spokesperson said.
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The FDA announced earlier this year that retail pharmacies could become certified to offer abortion medication to patients who have received a prescription from a qualified health provider. Previously, abortion medication had to be prescribed and dispensed by clinics, medical offices, hospitals, or under the supervision of a certified health provider.
CVS has also said it intends to go through the certification process to offer the abortion medication, though it has not clarified in which states it plans to sell the medication.
The Washington Examiner reached out to Walgreens for comment.