Is It True That You Can Now Get Abortion Drugs At CVS?

That’s sort of true. Let me explain.

It used to be that when we talked about abortion in the US, we were talking primarily about a surgical abortion. This would require a person going somewhere, like a clinic or hospital, to have the procedure done.

But in 2022, more than half of women in the US had a medical abortion which involves no surgery and instead uses 2 medications. If you want to read more about this, check out my post on Plan C.

Let me stop for a minute and say that the data we have on abortion in the US may not be 100% accurate.  People may be getting the pills they need to have a medical abortion by mail, and that might not be accounted for in the numbers.  

At the beginning of 2023, the FDA decided that pharmacies, like CVS, could begin to sell mifepristone.  Mifepristone is the first drug used in a medical abortion. In order for a pharmacy to see the drug, they have to become certified. At the time I’m writing this, January 8, both CVS and Walgreens have indicated that they intend to seek certification.

The second drug needed for a medical abortion is misoprostol. This  was already accessible at many pharmacies because it can be used for things other than abortion. It’s often prescribed to people to decrease the chances of getting a stomach ulcer if they take things like aspirin regularly,

A lot of people are happy about the FDA’s decision because it can make mifepristone easier to access. But you still need a prescription to get it. You won’t be able to just go into your neighborhood pharmacy and get the medications you need for a medical abortion off the shelf.

For some people there might still be issues accessing the medications. In some states it might be illegal to buy these drugs, or people might not be able to get to a pharmacy that is certified to sell the drugs.

Also, some pharmacies allow their employees not to sell items that are against the employee’s values. There was a lot of press around this in 2022 when some people couldn’t buy condoms at Walgreens. If that was happening with condoms, imagine what might happen with an abortion drug.  

With the issue of access in mind I want to mention two more things. The FDA decided in December 2022 that the drugs necessary for a medical abortion could legally be sold through the mail. The other thing to note is that the January 2023 decision stated that you did not need to get mifepristone in person.

Since the laws about abortion vary from state to state, and things are constantly changing, it might be hard to keep up with where things stand with abortion in your state. You might find this website helpful.

Until next time, be safe and have fun!

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