Walgreens Boots Alliance (NASDAQ:WBA) and CVS Health (NYSE:CVS) will start distributing the abortion pill mifepristone this month after the pharmacy chains received an FDA certification required to dispense the drug, The New York Times reported Friday, citing company officials.
Mifepristone, a component of a two-drug regimen used in medically induced abortion, will initially be available for in-store purchases in a handful of states, and the companies will not provide it by mail.
Walgreens (WBA) and CVS (CVS), the nation’s leading pharmacy operators, said they would gradually expand it to other states where abortion is legal and pharmacies can distribute the drug without legal consequences.
Since its approval in 2000, the FDA has tightly controlled access to mifepristone due to safety concerns, limiting its availability to a select group of specialty offices and clinics.
In January 2023, the FDA finalized a rule allowing retail pharmacies to dispense mifepristone, subject to a certification process. CVS (CVS) and Walgreens (WBA) said they would get certified and offer the drug in states where access is legal.
Weeks later, a group of 20 Republican state attorneys general sent letters to the duo threatening legal action if they dispensed the medication by mail.
In response, Walgreens (WBA) said the company won’t distribute mifepristone in those states, including some places where abortion is legal.
