Walgreens, CVS to seek certification to dispense abortion pills

Following an FDA rule change expanding the availability of abortion pills earlier this week, both Walgreens and CVS say they will seek certification to distribute one of the medications.

Once certified, both drugstore chains will be able to fill prescriptions for mifepristone, which stops an embryo from growing and can be used to terminate a pregnancy of up to 10 weeks.

A spokesperson for Deerfield-based Walgreens said the company is “working through the registration, necessary training of our pharmacists, as well as evaluating our pharmacy network in terms of where we normally dispense products that have extra FDA requirements” as it prepares to fill prescriptions for the drug.

Also known by the brand name Mifeprex, mifepristone interrupts the production of progesterone and breaks down the uterine lining.

Up to 48 hours after taking mifepristone, another drug, misopristol, known by the brand name Cytotec, is used to flush the embryo out of the uterus.

Mifeprex was approved by the FDA in 2000, and a generic version was approved in 2019.

Until Tuesday’s ruling, CVS, Walgreens and other pharmacies were not allowed to stock mifepristone, though pharmacists were able to prescribe misoprostol on its own.

Walgreens operates about 9,000 pharmacies nationwide, including almost 600 in Illinois. CVS has nearly 10,000 pharmacies nationwide, with 340 in Illinois.

Under the new program, people seeking medication abortions don’t have to go to pharmacies in person. They can get a prescription through a telehealth appointment and receive pills in the mail where permitted by law.

Once certified, pharmacies must make sure each health care provider is also certified before filling or shipping a mifepristone prescription.

“Although the FDA’s announcement today will not solve access issues for every person seeking abortion care, it will allow more patients who need mifepristone for medication abortion additional options to secure this vital drug,” the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists said in a statement.

FDA rulings limited the distribution of mifepristone to in-person pickup at select locations until the COVID-19 pandemic. In December 2021, the FDA announced plans to permanently allow mifepristone pills to be ordered online and mailed directly to customers.

Medication abortions have a 99.6% success rate, according to the Food and Drug Administration. They account for nearly half of U.S. abortions today, according to the Guttmacher Institute, a research group supporting abortion rights.

Contributing: Associated Press