Two of the country’s largest chain pharmacies say they will begin selling the abortion pill, mifepristone.
Walgreens will begin selling the FDA-approved drug in some of its stores in California, Illinois, New York, Pennsylvania and Massachusetts later this month. CVS will make it available at all of its locations in Massachusetts and Rhode Island, with plans to expand access further "where allowed by law, on a rolling basis."
"Walgreens has completed the FDA certification process to dispense mifepristone and expects to begin dispensing within a week, consistent with federal and state laws," Walgreens said in a statement. "We are beginning a phased rollout in select locations to allow us to ensure quality, safety, and privacy for our patients, providers, and team members."
CVS confirmed to Spectrum News that it is "working with manufacturers and suppliers to secure the medication and are not yet dispensing it in any of our pharmacies."
The news was first reported by The New York Times.
President Joe Biden hailed the announcements in a statement, calling it an "important milestone" in safeguarding access to the medication.
“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 Friday. “I encourage all pharmacies that want to pursue this option to seek certification.”
The move comes as the Supreme Court is set to take up a case in the spring seeking to put limits on the medication, the first major abortion-related case since the high court overturned Roe v. Wade, which granted the right to an abortion nationwide, in 2022.
The case challenges the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's approval of mifepristone from 2000. Texas federal judge Matthew Kacsmaryk, an appointee of President Donald Trump, initially revoked the FDA's approval of mifepristone. An appeals court left the FDA's approval intact, but reversed some changes that made the drug easier to access. The Biden administration and the drug's manufacturer are urging the high court to reverse its ruling.