March 01, 2024
Steve Heaslip/USA TODAY NETWORK
Walgreens and CVS soon will begin dispensing the abortion pill mifepristone in select states. In Pennsylvania, some Walgreens stores are expected to start selling the drug next week to people with prescriptions.
Mifepristone soon will be sold at Walgreens pharmacies in Pennsylvania and four other states, making the abortion drug more accessible to some patients in the U.S. CVS also plans to begin selling the drug in two states, with plans to expand to additional states where abortion is legal.
The pharmacy chains have obtained certifications from the U.S. Food & Drug Administration to dispense mifepristone from their stores, but not by mail, The New York Times reported Friday. The companies, the largest pharmacy chains in the U.S., have faced backlash from anti-abortion groups and political leaders in states with bans and other restrictions on abortions.
Mifepristone is prescribed to women seeking to terminate pregnancies through the first 10 weeks, although the drug can be taken beyond that point with the possibility of reduced efficacy. The pill is part of a two-drug regimen. Mifepristone blocks a hormone needed for pregnancy development. Misopristol, taken 24-48 hours later, causes contractions that rid the body of pregnancy tissue.
The same drug combination is used to treat women with miscarriages. These patients also will be able to pick up their prescriptions at Walgreens and CVS stores that stock the drugs.
Walgreens said it plans to start dispensing the drug next week at stores in Pennsylvania, New York, Massachusetts, Illinois and California. CVS will sell mifepristone in all of its pharmacies in Massachusetts and Rhode Island in the coming weeks.
Walgreens did not immediately respond to a request for information about which stores in Pennsylvania will carry the drug. The chain is expected to make mifepristone available in phases at select stores in order to ensure quality, safety and privacy for patients and providers, a company spokesperson told the Times.
Both chains plan to expand availability to stores in all states where abortion is legal, but may not venture into states where laws are unclear due to ongoing legal challenges.
Mifepristone and misopristol are now used in more than half of abortions in the U.S., having become more common with the rise of telemedicine during the COVID-19 pandemic. The FDA, which approved mifepristone in 2000, updated its regulations last year to allow mifepristone to be sold at certified pharmacies after being prescribed by a medical provider.
In years past, the drug only could be obtained in person from a doctor or a certified clinic. Telehealth appointments increased the use of mail-order pharmacies, particularly in states where access became more tightly restricted after the Supreme Court overruled Roe v. Wade in 2022. Although some women prefer to visit doctors to get prescriptions for the drug, physicians may not always have it stocked. The FDA's updated regulations now allow doctors to call in prescriptions for patients to pick up at Walgreens and CVS locations that will carry mifepristone.
A lawsuit filed by anti-abortion groups sought to remove mifepristone from the U.S. market entirely — invalidating the FDA's longstanding approval — but a federal appeals court stopped short of that request last August. The court decided the drug should remain legal, but ruled the pill should be prohibited from being sent through the mail or prescribed during telehealth appointments. The Supreme Court, which is slated to begin hearing that case March 26, will decide whether the limitations from the lower court ruling should take effect. If last year's decision is upheld, patients again may be required to visit clinics, doctors or pharmacies to obtain the drug.
Abortion opponents increasingly have turned to state legislatures to seek restrictions and bans on medication abortions. The issue expected to factor heavily in the 2024 presidential election, with the Biden administration making abortion and contraceptive access one of its major platforms.
"With major retail pharmacy chains newly certified to dispense medication abortion, many women will soon have the option to pick up their prescription at a local, certified pharmacy – just as they would for any other medication," Biden said in a statement Friday. "I encourage all pharmacies that want to pursue this option to seek certification."
