CVS and Walgreens will start dispensing mifepristone, one of the medications used to induce an abortion, in stores this month.

The news was first reported by The New York Times. It comes more than a year after both retail pharmacy chains, the nation’s two largest, said they would pursue certification from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to dispense the pill.

Mifepristone can be used in conjunction with another medication, misoprostol, to induce an abortion at home. A vast body of research shows it is safe and highly effective, particularly in the first trimester of pregnancy. Patients seeking mifepristone need a prescription from a medical provider. Misoprostol is already available in pharmacies for patients with a prescription.

The chains will start dispensing mifepristone in a few states: CVS in Rhode Island and Massachusetts, and Walgreens in California, Illinois, Massachusetts, New York and Pennsylvania. Eventually, both pharmacies will make it available in all states where abortion is legal and where they are permitted to do so. Neither chain will dispense the pill through the mail.

CVS pharmacies will begin filling prescriptions “in the weeks ahead,” said Amy Thibault, a company spokesperson. Walgreens anticipates beginning to dispense mifepristone in the next week, per spokesperson Fraser Engerman.

read more: https://truthout.org/articles/cvs-and-walgreens-will-start-selling-abortion-pills-this-month/