Walgreens Boots Alliance Inc (WBA.O) announced on Thursday that it will not dispense abortion pills in the states of 20 Republican attorneys general who have warned the pharmacy chain that doing so would violate the law.
The decision comes after the Food and Drug Administration allowed retail pharmacies to dispense mifepristone pills, including by mail, if they are certified under the drug’s special safety rules.
A spokesperson for Walgreens stated that the pharmacy made the decision in response to a letter from the attorney general. They stated that Walgreens intended to become a licensed pharmacy and would only dispense in states where it was legal.
CVS Health Corp (CVS.N), which received the letter as well, did not respond immediately to the request for comment.
The position of Walgreens was first reported on Thursday by the news website Politico.
Medication abortion, which accounts for more than half of all abortions in the United States, has received increased attention since the Supreme Court overturned the landmark 1973 Roe v. Wade decision, which recognized abortion as a constitutional right nationwide, in June.
Mifepristone is approved for abortion within the first 10 weeks of pregnancy when combined with another drug, misoprostol.
