Reproductive Equity Now Statement on CVS and Walgreens Beginning to Dispense Mifepristone
This change comes nearly full year after the Healey-Driscoll administration issued guidance to pharmacies to stock mifepristone
BOSTON (March 1, 2024) – Reproductive Equity Now President Rebecca Hart Holder released the following statement today after CVS and Walgreens, two major pharmacy retail chains, announced they will begin stocking and dispensing mifepristone in select states, including Massachusetts. The announcement comes after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration permitted pharmacies to begin dispensing mifepristone in January 2023, and the Healey-Driscoll administration issued guidance to pharmacies to begin stocking mifepristone in March 2023.
“As anti-abortion extremists continue to wage nationwide attacks on medication abortion access, this is a critically important step to remove medically unnecessary obstacles to accessing mifepristone,” said Rebecca Hart Holder, President of Reproductive Equity Now. “We’re proud to see these corporate pharmacy chains step up, follow the science, and begin stocking and dispensing this medication, which has been authorized by the FDA for use in abortion care for more than two decades. We’re excited to see these safe and effective medications offered at pharmacies in Massachusetts, and are hopeful that soon, residents of all six New England states will be able to access medication abortion at their local CVS or Walgreens.”
Previous to the FDA guidance, patients could only obtain abortion medication through mail order pharmacies with prescriptions or through brick-and-mortar abortion clinics.
Reproductive Equity Now has advocated strongly for major pharmacy retailers to dispense not only mifepristone, but also contraception in line with the 2017 ACCESS law.
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