Walgreens, CVS To Start Dispensing Abortion Pill In Stores

Two of the biggest pharmacies in the United States announced Friday that they will soon start dispensing the abortion medication mifepristone in select stores.

CVS and Walgreens both confirmed Friday that they’ve completed the Food and Drug Administration’s certification process to start filling prescriptions for the pills, which can be used to terminate some pregnancies in the first trimester and account for more than half of abortions in the U.S.

Walgreens “expects to begin dispensing within a week, consistent with federal and state laws,” said the pharmacy, which operates more than 8,000 locations across the country. Its rollout will begin in New York, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, California, and Illinois ― all states that have protected access to abortion in the wake of Roe v. Wade falling in 2022.

CVS said it’s starting with a smaller rollout on a slightly later timeline.

“We’ll begin filling prescriptions for the medication in Massachusetts and Rhode Island in the weeks ahead and will expand to additional states, where allowed by law, on a rolling basis,” said the company, which operates more than 9,000 pharmacies nationwide.

The New York Times was the first to report the news.

Neither pharmacy will offer mifepristone by mail. That practice has been a source of debate in recent years, though a recent study found that using telehealth to obtain abortion pills through the mail is as safe and effective as seeing a doctor in person for the same purpose.

President Joe Biden praised CVS and Walgreens for their announcements Friday and encouraged more pharmacies to seek the certification.

“Today is an important milestone in ensuring access to mifepristone, a drug that has been approved by the Food and Drug Administration