CVS and Walgreens pharmacies announced they will begin filling abortion pill prescriptions of the medication Mifepristone for patients to whom it is prescribed, starting in March, 2024. As the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) explains, “Mifepristone is a drug that blocks a hormone called progesterone that is needed for a pregnancy to continue.” Though this change will not occur in all states, both pharmacies intend to expand this access to their pharmacies in every state in which it is legal to do so.
Currently, this update will only occur in select CVS pharmacies in Massachusetts and Rhode Island. Walgreens pharmacies filling these prescriptions are limited to New York, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, California, and Illinois. In response to public inquiry, Walgreens released a statement: “In the interests of pharmacist and patient safety, we will not disclose the number of sites per state nor identify the pharmacies that are dispensing.” They later added that “for patients with prescriptions, certified medical providers will be able to direct patients to locations.” To achieve this, Walgreens is beginning with a staggered rollout in select locations, in order to “ensure quality, safety, and privacy for our patients, providers, and team members.”
To legally dispense these pills, CVS and Walgreens needed to obtain certification from the FDA. Walgreens explained that they “completed the FDA certification process to dispense Mifepristone and [are] now dispensing, consistent with federal and state laws.” CVS Health adds that they “received certification to dispense Mifepristone at CVS Pharmacy and plan to fill prescriptions for this medication in states where [it is] legally permissible.”
Before this change, pregnant individuals’ only option to get Mifepristone was directly from their doctor, an abortion clinic, or by mail via telehealth consultations. However, as Grayson Dempsey, director of public affairs at Lilith Clinic explains, the ability to get this medication at common pharmacies “allows both patients and providers a little more privacy.”
Dempsey describes that previously, “Doctors [needed] to go through a lot of approval paperwork [and] bureaucracy in order to be able to access the medication, and then it requires a really specific type of storage.” She continues to say, with this increased availability, providers may feel more comfortable prescribing abortion medication.
Some believe this change will give patients more choice by eliminating obstacles. As Dempsey explains, “[a number of patients] are concerned about privacy or having to walk through protesters.” Offering this medication at CVS and Walgreens “may give them the ability to pick up at a pharmacy without having any barriers.” As Dempsey summarizes, “Protecting our privacy [at Lilith Clinic] is really paramount due to opposition and protesters.”
Following the overturn of Roe v. Wade in June of 2022, abortion access in the United States has become increasingly limited. This means CVS and Walgreens will be unable to expand to nearly half of the US states due to legality, with laws restricting abortion ranging from method bans to total outlaw.
In Oregon, this pharmaceutical change has yet to be enacted. However, unlike some states, reproductive rights are protected under legislation. In fact, Oregon has recently announced additional funding planned to increase reproductive access. Per a press release from the state, 23 organizations are to be awarded a total of $8.5 million to “address long-term reproductive healthcare access and affordability barriers faced by marginalized Oregon communities.” Because of this established commitment, many predict no substantial difficulties in bringing about this update.
As Oregon Representative Andrea Valderrama elaborates, “Offering abortion pills in CVS and Walgreens would be legal in Oregon.” The Reproductive Health and Access to Care bill (HB 2002) enshrines the ability to obtain reproductive healthcare in Oregon statute, which includes access to medications such as Mifepristone with a prescription from a physician.
Oregon Senator Elizabeth Steiner reiterates this, stating, “Patients still need a prescription from a qualified provider” But regardless, “with more pharmacies carrying this vital medicine, individuals will have greater access to reproductive healthcare.”
In Oregon, this effect is especially evident in rural cities. “I think that the real place that we’re [going to] see a difference made in access with the expansion of medication abortion to pharmacies, is going to be in rural communities where there is just a dearth of providers,” Dempsey explains. Steiner, who has previous experience as a family physician in rural areas, adds, “It will allow for people in these historically medically underserved areas to have options they didn’t have previously.” As rural communities often have fewer pharmacies and clinics, broader access will allow those in rural communities to obtain medicine without individuals needing to drive potentially hours to a reproductive clinic.
“[The] government should not be making medical decisions for people … it’s important that people have the right to make the decisions about their body and about their lives without having to risk their lives to do that,” Oregon Representative Mark Gamba argues.
Dempsey furthers this statement. Abortion is a “portion of the common healthcare procedure that about a quarter of American women are going to need in their lifetime.” She continues, “We know that when we create barriers to access or have bans in place, it doesn’t stop abortion care … it makes it harder to access, especially for the people who are already the most marginalized, [creating] a really inequitable and unsustainable model of healthcare.”
As Dempsey explains, essentially half of the country is providing care to patients the other half does not provide for. This is putting the burden on individuals in stressful situations with low resources to travel often hundreds or thousands of miles to access healthcare. The availability of Mifepristone pills in CVS and Walgreens pharmacies may help to address this burden.
