Walgreens Boots Alliance Inc. will not dispense abortion pills in several U.S. states where they are still legal, Politico reported on Thursday, citing the pharmacy.
Last month, 20 Republican state attorneys general told Walgreens and CVS Health Corp. that they could run afoul of federal and state law if they distribute the abortion drug mifepristone by mail.
Walgreens has assured them it will not dispense the pills in stores or by mail, Politico said.
Walgreens, the nation's second-largest pharmacy chain, is acting :out of an abundance of caution amid a shifting political landscape, threats from state officials and pressure from anti-abortion activists," the news site said.
Politico said the list includes several states where abortion in general (and the medications specifically) remains legal — including Alaska, Iowa, Kansas and Montana.
The pharmacy is not distributing the pills anywhere in the country but is working to obtain certification to do so in some states, Politico reported, saying the firm declined to say which states.
"There is currently complexity around this issue in Kansas and elsewhere," Politico quoted Fraser Engerman, Walgreens' senior director of external relations, as saying.
Walgreens did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.
Medication abortion -- it accounts for more than half of U.S. abortions and has become the nation's most popular abortion tack -- has drawn increasing attention since the Supreme Court in June overturned a landmark 1973 Roe v. Wade ruling that had recognized abortion as a constitutional right nationwide.
After the ruling, President Joe Biden directed federal agencies to expand access to medication abortion.
Newsmax contributed to this report.
© 2024 Thomson/Reuters. All rights reserved.