No abortion pills at Walgreens in anti-abortion states

OAN Geraldyn Berry
10:42 AM PT – Friday, March 3, 2023

Walgreens Boots Alliance Inc. WBA.O announced that it will no longer deliver abortion medication to 20 Republican attorneys general. This is because the law would be broken and the pharmacy chain could be in danger.

This decision was taken following approval by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which allowed retail pharmacies to distribute mifepristone pills via mail as long as they were accredited according to special safety guidelines.

In February, nearly two dozen Republican state attorneys general sent a warning letter to Walgreens, threatening legal action if Walgreens started selling the pills. The pills have been the most commonly used method to end pregnancies in America.

“There is currently complexity around this issue in Kansas and elsewhere,” Fraser Engerman is Walgreens’ senior director for external relations.

Kris Kobach, Kansas Attorney General, stated that they “will not hesitate to enforce the laws against mailing and dispensing abortion pills.” 

The Biden administration intervened when several states passed laws prohibiting this practice. In January, they allowed retail pharmacies to distribute the pills in a larger effort for greater access and preservation.

After a long-running investigation, the FDA ruled that tablets can be used safely and without the need for a doctor’s consultation. The FDA’s ruling is being challenged by the general state attorneys and pro-life groups.

Some chain pharmacies quickly indicated they would participate in the FDA’s report, but only where the tablets weren’t outlawed or restricted access.