US approves greater availability of abortion pill with prescription

Robert Besser
11 Jan 2023, 03:59 GMT+10

Walgreens and CVS have announced that they will sell abortion pills, after the US FDA ruled that US retail pharmacies could, for the first time, sell the drug
This week, the FDA finalized a rule allowing one of two abortion drugs to be sold by retail pharmacies
The move comes after the US Supreme Court, in 2022, overturned the landmark 1973 Roe vs. Wade decision, allowing individual states to determine whether to allow abortions

WASHINGTON D.C.: Walgreens and CVS have announced that they will sell abortion pills, after the US Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) ruled that US retail pharmacies could, for the first time, sell the drug.

This week, the FDA finalized a rule allowing one of two abortion drugs to be sold by retail pharmacies.

The move comes after the US Supreme Court, in 2022, overturned the landmark 1973 Roe vs. Wade decision, allowing individual states to determine whether to allow abortions.

The decision will make medication-induced abortion, which accounts for more than half of total US abortions, more accessible in states where abortion remains legal, but it will have a limited impact in states that have banned abortion.

In an statement, Walgreens said, "We are 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 and will dispense these, consistent with federal and state laws."

The FDA said mifepristone, one of two drugs used in medication abortions, can now be sold by retail pharmacies.

CVS Health also said it plans to seek certification to dispense mifepristone.

After reviewing supplemental applications from Danco Laboratories and GenBioPro, the two companies that manufacture the drug in the US, the FDA finalized the changes.

In several countries, including India and Mexico, women can buy the medication without prescriptions.