Walgreens will not dispense abortion pills in several states where they remain legal. The move comes in response to pressure from Republican attorneys general, who last month wrote a letter to the company threatening legal action if it begins dispensing the drugs, Politico reported March 3.
The nation's second-largest pharmacy chain told Politico it has responded to 20 attorneys general who penned the Feb. 1 letter to let them know the company will not dispense the pills by mail or at brick-and-mortar locations in their states. The letter was signed by attorneys general in several states where abortion and the medications remain legal, including Alaska, Iowa, Kansas and Montana.
A Walgreens official said the company is not yet dispensing abortion pills anywhere in the U.S., though is working to obtain the ability to do so in some states. The company did not say which states it was working to obtain certification in. In January, Walgreens had said it planned to distribute mifepristone in states where it is legal.
Republican attorneys general sent similar letters to CVS, Albertsons, Rite Aid, Costco, Walmart and Kroger. Those companies did not respond to Politico's questions on their plans in the affected states.
A federal judge in Texas is expected to soon rule on a lawsuit filed by an anti-abortion organization that seeks to reverse the FDA's approval of mifepristone and halt its distribution nationwide.