Walgreens and CVS double down on dispensing drug that intentionally kills human beings

Pharmacy chains Walgreens and CVS have doubled down on their commitment to help Americans intentionally end the lives of preborn human beings by dispensing abortion pills after a January 2023 approval by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to expand pharmacy access to the drug.

Walgreens Boots Alliance tells potential investors online that it is a “trusted, global innovator in retail pharmacy with more than 12,500 locations across the U.S., Europe and Latin America” — yet the pharmacy chain has also stated that its “goal”  is to “gradually expand availability [of the abortion pill] to locations in all legally permissible states in a phased approach.”

Likewise, CVS — which claims to have “a long history of supporting and advancing women’s health” which “remain[s] focused on meeting their unique health needs” — has vowed online to dispense the abortion pill in states “where it is legally permissible for pharmacies to fill prescriptions for this medication.”

When discussing the abortion pill, CVS CEO Karen Lynch attempted to disguise the chemical poisoning of human beings in the womb with euphemisms like “reproductive health” and “FDA approved products.”

In an interview with CBS News, Lynch told the media outlet, “As a company our north star is that we support women’s health and that we are committed to making sure that women have access to reproductive health services, education, and FDA-approved products.”

Walgreens and CVS Begin Phased Rollout

Both pharmacy chains vowed to begin with a phased rollout of the abortion drug and to expand at a later and undetermined time.

In a written statement published to their website, Walgreens stated that the pharmacy chain “has completed the FDA certification process to dispense mifepristone and is now dispensing, consistent with federal and state laws. We are beginning with a phased rollout in select locations to allow us to ensure quality, safety, and privacy for our patients, providers, and team members.”

“The FDA modified the mifepristone REMS program in January 2023 to remove the restriction that did not allow mifepristone to be dispensed from retail pharmacies,” Walgreens stated online. “We are now dispensing in select locations in New York, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, California, and Illinois. We are beginning with a phased rollout in select locations to allow us to ensure quality, safety, and privacy for our patients, providers, and team members. Our goal is to gradually expand availability to locations in all legally permissible states in a phased approach.”

On March 12, 2024, CVS announced that “CVS Pharmacy® retail locations have begun filling 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.

“Mifepristone is currently available with an authorized prescription from a certified prescriber at CVS Pharmacy locations in Massachusetts and Rhode Island,” they wrote. “Over the coming weeks, we plan to phase in other states where it is legally permissible for pharmacies to fill prescriptions for this medication.”

CVS reiterated this on its Mifepristone FAQ page, writing, “We’re currently dispensing mifepristone in our Massachusetts and Rhode Island pharmacies. In the weeks ahead, we will begin a staggered rollout of this service in additional states where legally permissible.”

And again, CVS wrote, “By using a phased approach for new programs, we help ensure the highest standards of quality and service are met. We expect to expand to other states where legally permissible in the weeks ahead.”

But CVS added that “At this time, mifepristone is not eligible for delivery.”

Hiding Abortion Pill Dispensing Locations from Public

Walgreens and CVS both vowed to expand, but neither is currently publishing a list of location sites.

“As part of our preparation to dispense mifepristone, Walgreens conducted a rigorous process to select the initial sites within legally permissible states,” Walgreens claimed, adding that “Certified medical providers will be able to direct patients to locations to pick up their prescriptions.”

“Our goals in identifying these locations were to meet patient demand and remain consistent with how we have provided access to other medications where a Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy (REMS) program is required by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA),” Walgreens claimed.

CVS’ website claimed that “After an extensive review of current state laws, we’ve decided to move ahead with mifepristone dispensing in several states where legally permissible. We comply with all laws and regulations, so the list of states we are dispensing the medication in may change as legislation or court cases are introduced or resolved.”

Still, CVS has acknowledged that “State laws vary widely and can shift frequently based on legislative action and/or court decisions” but again claimed it “will dispense mifepristone in any state where it is or becomes legally permissible to do so.”

While the pharmacy chains were both planning to expand, Walgreens seemed more secretive, adding online that “in the interests of pharmacist and patient safety, we will not disclose the number of sites per state nor identify the pharmacies that are dispensing.”

Walgreens Partners with Abortion Pill Manufacturer Danco Laboratories

While Walgreens and CVS are both certified to dispense the drugs, Live Action News previously documented that while CVS was certified by the generic manufacturer GenBioPro, Walgreens was certified by Danco (name brand U.S. manufacturer) but was also seeking certification from GenBioPro.

Online, Walgreens was clear that it is partnering with Danco, even suggesting that “Certified prescribers may locate pharmacies by contacting Danco Laboratories (brand manufacturer) at 1-877-4 Early Option (1-877-432-7596).”

“A certified medical provider must provide Walgreens with a prescription for mifepristone in order for Walgreens to dispense it to you,” Walgreens stated without explaining how the pharmacy will verify the prescriber is “certified,” since the only ones that have access to that list (required under the FDA’s REMS) are Danco or GenBioPro.

“If a prescription is received at a non-certified Walgreens in an active state, Walgreens team members will assist the patient to locate an alternate pharmacy that is able to dispense the medication,” Walgreens added.

CVS also claimed that “Per the FDA’s REMS program requirements for this medication, we must ensure a provider is certified to prescribe mifepristone which may result in a slight delay in filling prescriptions,” adding that “We expect to be able to fill prescriptions for mifepristone within a few days of receipt/drop off and within the requirements of the REMS program.”

Danco’s website directs prospective customers to the National Abortion Federation (NAF) as well as Planned Parenthood, claiming those looking for “assistance with locating” where they can obtain the life-ending Mifeprex drug can “call the National Abortion Federation (NAF) hot line, 1-800-772-9100, or visit NAF’s web site.”

In addition, Danco stated that “Many Planned Parenthood health centers also offer Mifeprex for early pregnancy termination. If you would like to find out if the Planned Parenthood clinic near you offers the early option pill, call toll-free 1-800-230-PLAN or visit PPFA’s web site.”

 

Both pharmacy chains vowed to protect patient privacy.

Walgreens, whose Notice of Privacy Practices claims it may “disclose your PHI for law enforcement purposes as required or permitted by law,” also wrote that “For the dispensing of mifepristone, the FDA’s Mifepristone Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategies (REMS) program requires additional patient and provider privacy standards that go beyond existing laws. As a result, Walgreens has worked hard to develop new processes designed to provide enhanced privacy protections for data covered by the program.”

Asked whether CVS pharmacists would prescribe the abortion pill, the pharmacy wrote, “No, CVS pharmacists cannot prescribe mifepristone. Mifepristone can only be prescribed by health care providers who are certified under the FDA’s Mifepristone REMS program.”

Walgreens and CVS Vow to Respect Conscience Rights of Employees

Despite their willingness to dispense the deadly abortion pill, both pharmacy chains also claimed they would protect the conscience rights of their employees.

“Walgreens has strict policies in place to uphold federal and state laws that protect health care provider conscience rights so that any team member who is unable to perform a task due to moral, religious, and/or ethical objections can request an exemption/accommodation consistent with these laws,” the pharmacy chain stated. “We will engage in an interactive process with any team member making such a request to determine what accommodations can be offered while ensuring that patients’ healthcare needs are met.”

Likewise, CVS emphasized that while the organization had “policies in place to ensure no patient is ever denied access to medication prescribed by a physician based on an employee’s religious or moral beliefs” the law required that CVS “reasonably accommodate employees’ sincerely held religious beliefs and, in some states, employees’ moral and ethical beliefs, that may prevent a pharmacist from filling specific medications or a pharmacy team member from selling specific medications.”

“In such instances, the employee must notify us about these beliefs in advance so we can provide a reasonable accommodation to the employee and ensure there are other arrangements in place to promptly meet our patients’ medication needs,” CVS wrote.

Additional Pharmacies Emerge

In addition to pharmacy chains Walgreens and CVS, Rite Aid previously announced that it had plans to dispense the abortion pill at a limited number of its pharmacies. In addition, multiple mail-order pharmacies have already begun to dispense the abortion pill.

Last fall, GenBioPro began publishing the names of certified retail pharmacies (including university and independent hospital pharmacies) who agreed to be publicly named. Later, Danco confirmed to the media that they also certified many of the same pharmacies.

At that time, GenBioPro appeared to be working with pharmacies associated with the Good Neighbor Pharmacy (GNP), a national independent pharmacy network offered through AmerisourceBergen (recently renamed Cencora), one of the largest pharmaceutical distribution companies in the world. AmerisourceBergen/Cencora also happens to be a large distributor of Mifeprex, according to Vox News.

While getting the abortion pill into pharmacy chains and onto pharmacy shelves has been a long-held strategy of Big Abortion, Live Action News has previously detailed multiple concerns surrounding pharmacy dispensing. These included a lack of knowledge by pharmacists to properly advise women of potential risks associated with abortion-inducing drugs and that pharmacists may also lack understanding surrounding the mandatory reporting of child sexual abuse.

The DOJ put a pro-life grandmother in jail for protesting the killing of preborn children. Please take 30-seconds to TELL CONGRESS: STOP THE DOJ FROM TARGETING PRO-LIFE AMERICANS.