Costco Wholesale will not sell the abortion pill mifepristone at its more than 500 U.S. pharmacies due to low demand from its members, the multinational corporation said Thursday.
“Our position at this time not to sell mifepristone, which has not changed, is based on the lack of demand from our members and other patients who we understand generally have the drug dispensed by their medical providers,” Costco said in a statement, according to Reuters.
The move follows ongoing pressure from religious activist groups, such as Inspire Investing and Alliance Defending Freedom, which have urged Costco not to offer the drug. The Inspire Investing website encourages the retail giant to “make the right choice to protect women and unborn children.”
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“It’s a very significant win, and it’s one we hope to build on this coming year,” Michael Ross, legal counsel for the corporate engagement team at Alliance Defending Freedom, told Bloomberg News.
Religious activist groups are no directing their efforts toward Walgreens and CVS Health, which provide the pill in states where abortion is legal, Bloomberg News reported.
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“We have a long history of supporting and advancing women’s health, and we remain focused on meeting their unique health needs,” a spokesperson for CVS Health told FOX Business in an email. “We fill prescriptions for mifepristone in select states where legally permissible. This follows the completion of a robust certification process and implementation of all FDA-required protocols for this medication.”
More than 20 Republican attorneys general recently demanded that the Trump administration reinstate safety protocols for mifepristone, saying it poses “serious risks to women.”
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Mifepristone, which is taken with another drug, misoprostol, to end an early pregnancy, was first approved by the FDA in 2000 after “a thorough and comprehensive review” found it was safe and effective, according to the agency’s website, noting that periodic reviews since its approval have not identified new safety concerns.
Medication abortions made up more than half of all abortions in the U.S. healthcare system in 2023, according to a study by the Guttmacher Institute.
Costco Wholesale, Walgreens and Danco Laboratories did not immediately respond to FOX Business’ request for comment.
Fox News Digital’s Landon Mion contributed to this report.
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