A Walgreens store in San Francisco, California, USA, Tuesday, March 7, 2023.
David Paul Morris | Bloomberg | Bloomberg | Getty Images
California will not renew its $54 million contract with Walgreens over the drugstore chain’s decision not to sell the abortion drug mifepristone in some states due to legal restrictions.
“California will not stand by when businesses give in to extremists and cut off critical access to reproductive care and freedom.” Gavin Newsom said in a statement Wednesday“California is on track to become the fourth largest economy in the world and will use its market power to protect its options.”
Newsom said on Monday that the state had “ended” its deal with Walgreens. The state of California used this contract to purchase specialized prescription drugs for its prison system. The state is reviewing all business contracts with Walgreens.
In a statement on Thursday, Walgreens said it was “deeply disappointed” by California’s decision to accuse the company of “false and misleading information.”
“Walgreens faces the same situation as all retail pharmacies, and no other retail pharmacy has said it would approach the situation differently, so this deal is a no-brainer,” said Fraser Engerman, a company spokesperson. It is unknown where it will be moved.”
“Our position has always been that, subject to FDA clearance, Walgreens will dispense Mifepristone in any legally permitted jurisdiction, including California,” said Engerman.
In February, 21 Republican state attorneys general warned Walgreens that selling or distributing abortion pills in their states violates local laws.
The drugstore chain told them they don’t sell or mail mifepristone in their state.
In January, the Food and Drug Administration allowed retail pharmacies such as Walgreens to sell mifepristone as long as they were accredited under an agency program that oversees how the pills are used and distributed. Walgreens and CVS have said they plan to be certified under the program.
At least 12 states have banned abortion since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022. Several other states have stricter restrictions on mifepristone than the FDA.
Walgreens does not sell abortion pills in states such as Alaska, Kansas and Montana where the right to abortion is protected by constitution.
In Alaska, patients must obtain the pill from their doctor. In Kansas, the state required patients to obtain abortion pills directly from doctors, but a state court she banned that law in November. Montana’s requirement that patients see a doctor to obtain mifepristone was also temporarily suspended by the court.
Drugstore chains won’t be selling mifepristone in Iowa either.
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