Democratic state attorneys general are ratcheting up pressure on the nation’s biggest pharmacy chains to follow though on plans to dispense the abortion pill over threats from GOP-led states.
(Bloomberg) — Democratic state attorneys general are ratcheting up pressure on the nation’s biggest pharmacy chains to follow though on plans to dispense the abortion pill over threats from GOP-led states.
Their move comes in a letter Thursday, ahead of a ruling that could remove the most popular abortion method in the US from the market.
Walgreens Boots Alliance Inc. and CVS Health Corp. announced last month that they plan to seek US certification to sell the pills used in medication abortion, after the US Food and Drug Administration loosened restrictions on where the drugs could be dispensed. Previously, they could be distributed only in health care settings. The move requires individual pharmacies to seek approval from the government to dispense the drugs in their stores. To do so, they must navigate a patchwork of state laws restricting or banning abortion access.
Read More: Walgreens, CVS Plan to Get Certified to Offer Abortion Pill
After Walgreens and CVS said they would seek this approval, a group of 20 Republican attorneys general sent a joint letter to executives at both companies warning that they could face legal consequences if they decide to mail and distribute medication abortion in their states.
The Justice Department said earlier this year that abortion pills can be distributed through the mail, but different state laws limit how residents can access the drugs. Arizona, Texas and Arkansas, for example, all ban people from receiving the medication through the mail.
Thursday’s letter, from a group of Democratic-led states to company executives, calls the claims made by Republican leaders false and urges the companies to carry on with their plans.
Read More: Lawsuit Filed Against FDA to Block Access to Abortion Pill
“We recognize that not all states support full and equal access to reproductive healthcare,” the states, led by California, said in the letter. “It is our understanding from your public statements that while you are committed to making this medication available as broadly as possible in your pharmacies in response to the FDA’s recent actions, you are equally committed to doing so in compliance with both state and federal law.”
The dispute comes as a federal judge in Texas is poised to rule on a lawsuit challenging FDA approval of the drug mifepristone, used as part of the two-pill regimen to terminate a pregnancy within the first 10 weeks. Abortion providers are bracing for a decision that could remove the pill from the market as early as Feb. 24.
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