Costco Wholesale Corp. has decided it will not stock or dispense the abortion medication mifepristone in its pharmacies, a move that has sparked both praise and criticism.
The company told Reuters that the decision was based on “a lack of demand,” since most patients obtain the drug directly from their health care providers.
The announcement, first reported by Bloomberg, was welcomed by religious organizations and anti-abortion advocates. Michael Ross, legal counsel for Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF), praised the move, stating, “We applaud Costco for doing the right thing by its shareholders and resisting activist calls to sell abortion drugs.” He added, “Retailers like Costco keep their doors open by selling a lifetime of purchases to families, both large and small. They have nothing to gain and much to lose by becoming abortion dispensaries.”
Emily Erin Davis of Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America echoed similar sentiments, calling Costco’s decision a strong statement that it “won’t be complicit in the abortion industry’s agenda to sell dangerous abortion drugs.”
Meanwhile, other major retailers have moved in the opposite direction. CVS and Walgreens announced last year that they had secured certification to dispense mifepristone in states where abortion remains legal, following an FDA policy shift that expanded pharmacy access.
Mifepristone, first approved in 2000, is one of two medications used for a medication abortion. The Supreme Court recently upheld its availability, ruling unanimously that anti-abortion groups lacked legal standing to challenge access.
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