Walgreens Will Not Sell Abortion Pill By Mail In 20 States

DEERFIELD, IL — Facing mounting pressure and legal threats from the attorney generals of 20 states where restrictions are currently in place on the sale of abortion pills, Walgreens announced Thursday it will not sell the pills by mail in those states. The move comes just two months after the Deerfield-based pharmacy giant announced its plan to become the first major U.S. pharmacy to sell the abortion pill mifepristone in its stores and by mail.

"I can confirm we have responded to the state attorneys general letter to Walgreens dated Feb. 1 by indicating we will not dispense Mifepristone in their respective states," Marty Maloney, senior manager of media relations for parent company Walgreens Boots Alliance, told Patch. "We are not distributing Mifepristone at this time. We intend to be a certified pharmacy and will distribute Mifepristone only in those jurisdictions where it is legal and operationally feasible."

Walgreens, along with CVS, had planned to sell mifepristone across the country after the Food and Drug Administration dropped rules that prevented drug stores from doing so in January.

The letter, sent by Republican Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey to Walgreens and several other major U.S. pharmacies intending to sell mifepristone, warns that the sale of abortion pills would violate federal law and abortion laws in many states. It was co-signed by attorneys general in Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Montana, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, and West Virginia.

The letter also alleges that President Joe Biden’s administration’s endorsement of abortion pills by mail is “an attempt to circumvent the right of states to protect women and children.”

According to the Mayo Clinic, mifepristone is used along with misoprostol to end a pregnancy that is less than 70 days in duration. To qualify for the abortion pill by mail, patients must be 10 weeks pregnant or less.

In January, the FDA finalized a rule change that makes abortion pills available to more pharmacies if they complete a certification process.

“My office has advocated historically to ensure that Walgreens and other pharmacies dispense proven-safe medications for abortions," Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul said in a statement Friday afternoon. "I understand that the legal landscape around abortion is uncertain and shifting every day. In fact, some states have laws on the books, have proposed legislation or pending litigation that create challenges for expanding medication abortion access."

Raoul said he spoke to Rosalind Brewer, global chief legal officer at Walgreens, on Friday. He said he was assured that where Walgreens can legally and operationally dispense mifepristone, including Illinois, its pharmacies will continue to do so. According to Raoul, half of abortions in the state are medical.

RELATED: Walgreens Plans To Sell Abortion Pills Following New FDA Rules

Last week, Raoul and others filed a lawsuit against the FDA, claiming that the federal agency has singled out mifepristone as being harmful. Raoul, along with 11 other attorneys general, filed the suit against the FDA, citing evidence that the drug is safe for women to use despite the agency’s regulations against it.

Since its FDA approval, mifepristone has been safely used more than 5 million times in the U.S., according to Raoul. Joining Raoul in filing the lawsuit are the attorney generals of Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Michigan, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont and Washington.

RELATED: Illinois AG Raoul, Others Sue FDA Over Safety Of Abortion Medication