Costco confirmed this week it will not stock the abortion pill mifepristone at its pharmacies, citing limited demand from customers and the prevalence of distribution through health providers.
In a statement to CBS News, the retail giant said most patients already receive the medication directly from their doctors or clinics, making pharmacy sales unnecessary. The decision, first reported by Bloomberg, comes as national debate continues over access to reproductive care.
Mifepristone, approved by the Food and Drug Administration in 2000, is used in combination with misoprostol to end pregnancies of up to 10 weeks. The two-pill regimen has become the most common method of abortion in the U.S., accounting for more than half of all procedures, according to the Guttmacher Institute.
Costco’s position drew praise from the Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF), a conservative Christian legal organization that opposes abortion. In a statement Thursday, ADF said the wholesaler was “doing the right thing” by resisting pressure to sell the medication and aligning with what it called the interests of families and shareholders.
The move distinguishes Costco from other major retailers. Earlier this year, CVS and Walgreens announced plans to dispense mifepristone in certain states where it remains legal, following updated FDA rules that expanded pharmacy access. At the same time, ongoing litigation has challenged those rules, leaving the drug’s availability in a patchwork of state and federal court decisions.
While Costco emphasized business reasons for its choice, the decision is likely to reverberate in political circles. Reproductive rights groups have argued that expanded pharmacy access could ease barriers for patients in states where abortion remains legal, particularly in rural areas with fewer clinics.
Source: CBS