The pharmacy chains CVS and Walgreens in the U.S. will sell mifepristone without a prescription. In 2022, the U.S. Supreme Court allowed states to ban abortion within their territories. 

This month, two leading American pharmacy retailers, CVS and Walgreens, will begin selling mifepristone, a medication used for medical abortion, without a prescription in several states, according to Reuters.

The anti-progestin drug will soon be available on pharmacy shelves in New York, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, California, and Illinois. Previously, patients in the U.S. could only obtain mifepristone from a certified healthcare provider at a clinic or hospital. However, last year, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) authorized certified pharmacies to dispense the drug.

The FDA revised its guidelines on mifepristone following the 2022 U.S. Supreme Court decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, which had established the constitutional right to abortion. The 1973 ruling was considered one of the most significant legal precedents in U.S. history. Its reversal allowed individual states to ban abortion, as reported by The Wall Street Journal.

Mifepristone is the most commonly used abortion medication in the U.S. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), approximately 51% of abortions in 2020 were performed using medication. Since its approval in 2000, about 5.6 million American women have used mifepristone, followed by misoprostol, to terminate pregnancies, according to an FDA post-marketing review.

U.S. President Joe Biden welcomed the launch of mifepristone sales, urging other pharmacies to obtain certification to distribute the drug. Restoring abortion rights has been a central issue in Biden’s reelection campaign. According to CNN, Biden has criticized his opponent in the upcoming election, Donald Trump, for supporting abortion restrictions.

According to Politico, anti-abortion groups have staged protests outside CVS and Walgreens pharmacies.

CVS is the largest pharmacy chain in the U.S., with over 9,000 locations nationwide. Walgreens operates about 8,500 stores in all states except North Dakota. Neither company has announced the price of mifepristone, but both noted that some state insurance programs will cover the cost for patients.

 

Source: Walgreens, CVS plan to start offering abortion pills