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Walgreens will not distribute abortion drugs in states the place Republican officers have threatened authorized motion — together with some locations the place abortion remains to be authorized and out there. The pharmacy chain mentioned in an announcement to NPR on Friday that it is nonetheless taking steps to promote the drug in “jurisdictions the place it’s authorized and operationally possible.”
The affirmation got here a month after 20 Republican state attorneys common, largely from states the place abortion is banned or closely restricted, despatched letters threatening Walgreens and different pharmacies with authorized motion in the event that they allotted mifepristone, an abortion capsule.
The Meals and Drug Administration finalized a brand new rule in January permitting retail pharmacies to get licensed to distribute the drug, and firms together with Walgreens and CVS mentioned they’re making use of for certification. Remedy abortion — not surgical procedure — is the commonest manner that individuals terminate pregnancies, particularly within the first trimester, when most abortions happen.
“At the moment, we’re working by way of the certification course of” and never but distributing the drug anyplace, Walgreens mentioned in a letter to Kansas’ lawyer common final month. “Walgreens doesn’t intend to dispense Mifepristone inside your state.”
The corporate mentioned in an announcement to NPR that it has responded to the entire attorneys common to guarantee them it will not distribute mifepristone of their states.
Mifepristone — which can be used to ease miscarriages — remains to be allowed in a number of the states the place Walgreens will not promote it, together with Alaska, Iowa, Kansas and Montana. The scenario underscores how difficult it may be to acquire an abortion even in states the place it stays authorized.
The opposite pharmacy chains to which Republican attorneys common despatched their letters — together with CVS, Costco, Walmart, Ceremony Assist, Albertsons and Kroger — didn’t instantly reply to NPR’s request for remark about whether or not they’re contemplating following swimsuit.
For greater than twenty years, solely specialty places of work and clinics may distribute mifepristone. An FDA resolution in December 2021 completely allowed docs to prescribe mifepristone through telehealth appointments and ship the drug by way of the mail.
An ongoing case earlier than a Trump-appointed federal choose in Texas seeks to problem the FDA’s authentic approval of mifepristone altogether.
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