Walgreens, CVS say they will sell abortion pills after FDA rule change
CBSN
Walgreens and CVS, the two largest drugstore chains in the U.S., told CBS MoneyWatch they intend to sell the abortion drug mifepristone after the Food and Drug Administration reversed a rule that had prevented retail pharmacies from dispensing the medication.
The FDA on Tuesday announced it would allow pharmacies to dispense mifepristone to patients with a prescription for the drug, which is one of the two medications needed to induce a so-called "medication abortion." The rule change also comes as the Justice Department recently gave the green light to the U.S. Postal Service to continue delivering abortion medication by mail, including, notably, in states that have passed restrictions on abortion services since the Supreme Court last year stuck down the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision.
Previously, mifepristone could only be prescribed by some mail-order pharmacies and certified physicians, which experts said had created barriers to access. The FDA on Tuesday also officially removed a requirement that the drug be dispensed in person.
