Major pharmacy chains CVS and Walgreens announced Friday that they will begin selling the abortion drug mifepristone.
The pharmacy chains also announced Friday that they had received Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy (REMS) certification from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). This certification is required for prescribers and pharmacies to dispense mifepristone.
The REMS program is required by the FDA for drugs with significant safety concerns and is intended to ensure that the benefits outweigh the risks. Some critics argue that the requirements for mifepristone under REMS are not supported by science and limit access to the drug.
“We are certified to dispense mifepristone at CVS Pharmacy and will be accepting prescriptions for this drug in states where it is legally permitted. We are working with manufacturers and suppliers to secure the drug. “We are working with them, but we are not yet dispensing in any of our pharmacies,” CVS said in a statement to The Hill.
“We will begin filling prescriptions for this drug in Massachusetts and Rhode Island in the coming weeks, and will gradually expand to other states where permitted by law.”
Reached for comment, a Walgreens spokesperson said the chain “has completed the FDA certification process to dispense mifepristone and plans to begin dispensing within a week in accordance with federal and state law.” said. We are beginning a phased rollout in select regions to help ensure quality, safety, and privacy for patients, providers, and team members. ”
The spokesperson added that Walgreens will begin dispensing in “select locations” in New York, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, California and Illinois. The company will start selling the brand name version, but plans to offer a generic version in the future.
President Biden welcomed the news Friday.
“With major retail pharmacy chains newly certified to dispense abortion pills, many women will be able to pick up their prescriptions at their local certified pharmacy just as they would for any other medication. We encourage all pharmacies that wish to have the option to obtain certification,” he said in a statement.
“The stakes could not be higher for women across America,” Biden added. “In the face of relentless attacks on reproductive freedom by Republican lawmakers, Vice President Harris and I will fight to protect the Food and Drug Administration’s independent, evidence-based authorization to ensure women have access to the health care they need. Continue to regulate mifepristone and restore Roe v. Wade protections in federal law.”
The FDA’s approval of mifepristone as an abortion drug was at the center of a federal lawsuit last year that ultimately saw a panel of judges uphold the approval, but a federal lawsuit expanded access to the drug. It ended with a judgment revoking the .
The Department of Justice asked the Supreme Court to reverse this decision. The Supreme Court has agreed to hear arguments in the case, and a trial date has been set for March 26.
Nathaniel Weixel contributed to this report.
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