Last week, Walgreens said it not distribute abortion pills in states where Republican officials have threatened legal action. Now a blue state says it will cut ties with the pharmacy giant because of the move.
“California won’t be doing business with @walgreens – or any company that cowers to the extremists and puts women’s lives at risk,” Gov. Gavin Newsom wrote in a tweet yesterday with a link to news coverage of Walgreen’s decision.
“We’re done,” he added.
A spokesperson for Gov. Newsom told NPR that “all relationships between Walgreens and the state” were under review, but declined to share specifics, including a timeline. Walgreens shares fell 1.77% on Monday following Newsom’s announcement.
Walgreens has been under fire since confirming last week that it wouldn’t dispense the popular abortion pill mifepristone in certain states after 20 Republican state attorneys general sent letters threatening legal action.
An FDA decision in January allowed for retail pharmacies to start selling mifepristone as long as they complete a certification process. Last month, 20 Republican state attorneys generals sent a letter threatening legal action against companies that began carrying the pills. That’s left Walgreen’s, alongside other national pharmacy giants like RiteAid and CVS, with difficult decisions to make.
Walgreens told NPR on Friday that it would still take steps to sell mifepristone in “jurisdictions where it is legal and operationally feasible.” But the drug — which is also used to ease miscarriages — is still legal in some of the states threatening Walgreens, including Alaska, Iowa, Kansas and Montana.
Walgreens has not responded to NPR’s latest attempt to clarify its position or to respond to Newsom’s statement. The company…
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