Walgreens Bows To GOP Pressure, Won't Sell Legal Abortion Pill In Some States

[Valin]

HuffPo

The pharmacy giant's decision is expected to impact patients in Alaska, Iowa, Kansas and Montana.

Lydia O'Connor
Mar 3, 2023

Walgreens confirmed Thursday that it will not sell abortion pills in states where attorneys general object to its distribution, even in states where that method of abortion remains legal.

The pharmacy giant announced the decision after Republican attorneys general from 20 states sent a letter to the company threatening lawsuits if it attempted to mail abortion medication in their jurisdictions. While Walgreens does not yet sell the abortion pill in any states, it’s in the process of obtaining certification to do so.

Politico was the first to report the decision.

“This is a very complex and in flux area of the law, and we are taking that into account as we seek certification to dispense Mifepristone,” Fraser Engerman, Walgreens’ senior director of external relations, said in a statement, adding that the company has confirmed with each attorney general in the letter that it will not dispense the pills in their states by mail or at Walgreens locations.

Mifepristone is the first of two pills a patient must take to end a pregnancy up to 10 weeks into term. It’s the most common way to terminate pregnancies in the U.S. and is deemed a “safe and effective method” of abortion by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.

(Snip)