Title: CVS and Walgreens Obtain Certification to Dispense Mifepristone for Medication Abortions: Expanding Access in Select States
CVS Health and Walgreens Boots Alliance, two leading pharmacy chains in the United States, have recently announced that they have acquired certification to dispense mifepristone, a crucial component of medication abortion regimens. This development marks an essential step towards expanding access to this common method of abortion in the country.
CVS Health, headquartered in Rhode Island and Massachusetts, plans to begin filling prescriptions for mifepristone in these two states “in the weeks ahead.” The company aims to expand this service to additional states where it is legally permissible, with a phased rollout to ensure quality, safety, and privacy for patients, providers, and team members.
Walgreens, the largest pharmacy chain in the United States, anticipates starting dispensation of mifepristone within a week, adhering to both federal and state regulations. The pharmacy will initiate this process in select locations across New York, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, California, and Illinois. This rollout is designed to allow Walgreens to ensure quality, safety, and privacy for its patients as they navigate this significant change.
Medication abortion is the most common method of abortion in the United States, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). This practice, approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for use up to 10 weeks into pregnancy, has been a subject of ongoing legal challenges in the U.S., with the Supreme Court set to consider restrictions on access to mifepristone by July 2023.
Mifepristone, in combination with misoprostol, plays a pivotal role in medication abortion regimens. Both CVS and Walgreens have previously dispensed misoprostol as part of these treatments. The FDA updated its guidelines for mifepristone distribution in January 2023, allowing the drug to be provided by certified pharmacies following a prescription issued by a certified prescriber.
Prior to this update, prescribers were required to dispense the drug directly to patients at clinics, medical offices, or hospitals (referred to as the “in-person dispensing requirement”). The FDA had suspended enforcement of this requirement during the pandemic.
President Joe Biden praised this development, labeling it an “important milestone in ensuring access to mifepristone,” a drug that has been approved by the FDA as safe and effective for over 20 years. Biden encouraged other pharmacies interested in this option to seek certification, while acknowledging that “the stakes could not be higher” for women across America in the face of ongoing attacks on reproductive freedom by Republican elected officials. The Biden administration has made abortion and contraception access a key component of its 2024 campaign platform, with Vice President Kamala Harris leading a reproductive freedoms tour across the country.
This development is expected to significantly increase accessibility for women seeking medication abortion, allowing them to pick up their prescriptions at a local, certified pharmacy instead of making separate arrangements for clinic or hospital visits.
