Editor’s Note: This article has been updated after the AG’s Office retracted an earlier release that incorrectly stated that the medication was used to treat ectopic pregnancies.
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — Oregon Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum, in unison with 22 other state attorneys general across the U.S., issued a letter of support for CVS and Walgreens drugstores to offer the abortion medications mifepristone and misoprostol in their pharmacies.
The companies announced the decision to provide the medication after the FDA released its decision on Jan. 3 to allow retail pharmacies to sell mifepristone to patients with prescriptions. First approved by the FDA in 2000 to end intrauterine pregnancies within the first 10 weeks of conception, the combination of mifepristone and misoprostol are used to perform more than half of all abortions in the U.S., a 2022 survey conducted by the Guttmacher Institute found. The drugs are also widely used to treat miscarriages, pregnancy complications and gastric ulcers.
“Mifepristone and misoprostol are safe, effective medications that are prescribed by doctors for many purposes, including abortion,” Rosenblum said. “Attorneys general in anti-abortion states are trying to scare retail pharmacy chains away from offering these critical medications. But, in a time when reproductive health care is under attack, our group of 23 attorneys general strongly believe we should be encouraging companies and providers to offer easily accessible, safe, and confidential healthcare as broadly as possible.”
Following the drugstores’ announcement, a group of attorneys general representing anti-abortion states, like Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, wrote a dissimilar letter to the companies, warning the companies of legal action if they attempted to sell the medications by mail — an approved method of distribution under the FDA’s Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy for the medication.
“We emphasize that it is our responsibility as State Attorneys General to uphold the law and protect the health, safety, and well-being of women and unborn children in our states,” the letter from the anti-abortion attorneys general states. “Part of that responsibility includes ensuring that companies like yours are fully informed of the law so that harm does not come to our citizens.”
The letter of warning to CVS and Walgreens was signed by attorneys general in Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Florida, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, Utah and West Virginia.
The letter of support for the drug companies’ decision was signed by attorneys general in California, Oregon, Washington, Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and Vermont.
“[We] are committed to defending access to reproductive healthcare, including abortion and contraceptives, after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned the federal constitutional right to abortion last summer,” the letter from states in favor of the abortion medication states. “Thus, we welcome the opportunity to work with pharmacies like yours to expand access to reproductive healthcare.”
As of February of 2023, there are 79 Walgreens and 28 CVS locations in Oregon.