Costco will not sell abortion drug at U.S. pharmacies

The wholesale retailer on Thursday confirmed it would not sell the abortion drug mifepristone at its American stores due to low demand, as first reported by Bloomberg. Costco operates more than 550 locations in the United States with pharmacies. The pro-life advocacy group Alliance Defending Freedom praised the decision, saying retail pharmacies exist to serve the health and wellness of their customers. While mifepristone is almost always fatal to unborn babies, ADF also said the drug can have serious adverse effects on women. A study published this spring by the Ethics and Public Policy Center suggests more than 10% of women who take the drug experience a serious adverse event, compared to the less than 0.5% reported by the Food and Drug Administration.

What have other retailers done? National pharmacy chains Walgreens and CVS in 2024 began dispensing mifepristone in states where it is legal to use in chemical abortions. The move came after the FDA approved a rule change to allow retail pharmacies to dispense the drug. Meanwhile, Kroger and Sam’s Club said they would not sell the pill after the drug briefly appeared on their webpages late last year. After a group of Democratic lawmakers in 2024 called on all retail pharmacies to dispense the drug, the advocacy group Inspire Investing worked with other organizations to urge companies not to carry the pill.

Dig deeper: Read my report about the dangers mifepristone poses to women and their unborn babies.