Walgreens Plans To Sell Abortion Pills Following New FDA Rules

DEERFIELD, IL — Following new rules unveiled by the Food and Drug Administration Wednesday, Walgreens has announced it will become the first U.S. pharmacy to sell abortion pills at its stores. There is currently no timetable of when the pills will become available for purchase.

"We intend to become a certified pharmacy under the program," Marty Maloney, senior manager of media relations for WBA, told Patch via email. "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."

When asked about when the abortion pills, specifically mifepristone, will be available to consumers, Maloney said he couldn't "elaborate" beyond the company's statement at this time.

Following the announcement by Walgreens, a CVS spokesperson told the Wall Street Journal it will also be selling mifepristone at its stores.

According to the Mayo Clinic, mifepristone is used along with misoprostol to end a pregnancy that is less than 70 days in duration. This occurs by stopping the supply of hormones that maintains the interior of the uterus. On its website, the Mayo Clinic says, "without these hormones, the uterus cannot support the pregnancy and the contents of the uterus are expelled."

RELATED: FDA Makes It Easier To Get Abortion Pills, Including In Illinois

Planned Parenthood of Illinois has made abortion pills available by mail following last year's overturning of Roe v. Wade by the U.S. Supreme Court, as abortion remains legal in the state.

Gov. J.B. Pritzker, along with other Illinois lawmakers, have vowed to keep reproductive rights for women intact. In 2019, state lawmakers enacted abortion rights legislation and the Illinois State Supreme Court recognized a woman’s right to have an abortion as a constitutional right under state guidelines. Illinois remains a safe haven for women seeking abortions and has even opened its doors to women from other surrounding states, including Indiana, where a total ban on abortion was enacted following the Roe v. Wade ruling.