DEERFIELD, Ill. — Walgreens said Thursday it will no longer sell the abortion pill by mail in 20 conservative-led states.
The statement comes after attorneys general in 20 states warned Walgreens and CVS last month that they could face legal consequences if they sell abortion pills By mail in those states.
Walgreens spokesman Fraser Engerman confirmed that the company sent a response to each of the attorneys general saying it would not distribute mifepristone in their states.
nineteen us States have imposed restrictions on abortion pills, but there is a court battle over whether they have the power to do so in defiance of US Food and Drug Administration policy. A physician and a company that makes the pill mifepristone filed separate lawsuits earlier this year seeking to overturn the bans in North Carolina and West Virginia.
The FDA has limited distribution of the drug to a subset of specialty offices and clinics for more than 20 years due to safety concerns. But it eased restrictions since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic by eliminating the in-person requirement for the pill and allowing brick-and-mortar pharmacies to dispense it. At least one lawsuit filed by abortion opponents argues that the FDA has overstepped its authority in approving abortion drugs.
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Engerman said the company is currently not dispensing mifepristone, though it is working to become eligible through an FDA-mandated certification process. That process requires the pharmacy to meet specific standards for shipping, tracking and confidentially keeping drug prescribing records.
He added that the company “will only distribute in jurisdictions where it is legal to do so if we are certified.”
Walgreens’ action was first reported by Politico.
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