CVS and Walgreens to start selling abortion pills
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A Walgreens truck parks near a CVS Pharmacy on March 10, 2023 in New York City. Photo: Leonardo Munoz/VIEWpress via Getty Images
Walgreens and CVS, two of the largest U.S. pharmacy chains, plan to start offering abortion pills this month, the companies told Axios Friday.
Why it matters: The move will increase availability to mifepristone just as the Supreme Court is set to weigh access to the pill in a high-stakes case that marks the top court's first major abortion issue since Roe v. Wade was overturned.
- The Supreme Court will hear oral arguments on March 26 in a dispute over access to mifepristone, with a ruling expected by late June.
The big picture: The two chains received the required certification to dispense mifepristone under the Food and Drug Administration's regulatory change issued last year.
- They'll start rolling out the medication in a handful of states where abortion is legal.
What they're saying: Walgreens said it expects to begin dispensing within a week, consistent with federal and state laws, in select locations in New York, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, California and Illinois.
- CVS said in a statement that it plans to fill prescriptions for the medication in the weeks ahead in states where legally permissible, including in Massachusetts and Rhode Island.
- "We're working with manufacturers and suppliers to secure the medication and are not yet dispensing it in any of our pharmacies," CVS said, adding that it expand to additional states on a rolling basis.
Zoom out: President Biden called the move "an important milestone" in a statement Friday, saying mifepristone has been deemed safe and effective by the FDA for more than 20 years.
- "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," he said.
- "I encourage all pharmacies that want to pursue this option to seek certification," the president added.
Background: Under the FDA's regulatory change, pharmacies can apply to become certified to dispense mifepristone.
- Approved pharmacies still need to comply with the laws of the state they are located in, some of which restrict access to abortion pills.
- Certified pharmacies can offer mifepristone only after receiving a prescription from a certified health provider.
Go deeper: DOJ tells SCOTUS curbing abortion pill access "threatens profound harms"
