The Quickie: Major Pharmacies to Bein Filling Abortion Pill Prescriptions
For Immediate Release: Jan. 5, 2023
Welcome to “The Quickie” — Planned Parenthood Action Fund’s daily tipsheet on the top health care & reproductive rights stories of the day. You can read “The Quickie'' online here.
In today’s Quickie: major pharmacies working to begin filling abortion pill prescriptions and NJ to award $15M to abortion providers in the state!
WALGREENS, CVS PLAN TO BEGIN FILLING ABORTION PILL PRESCRIPTIONS PER FDA RULE CHANGE: Yesterday, Walgreens and CVS, the two largest pharmacy chains in the country, announced their plans to seek certification from the FDA to begin filling prescriptions for the abortion pill, mifepristone. The FDA on Tuesday changed cumbersome rules that finally allow pharmacies to become certified and fill prescriptions for mifepristone, greatly improving access in states where abortion pills may be prescribed to patients. While the FDA rule change expands access in many states, pharmacies in states with abortion bans that limit use of abortion pills still cannot fill a prescription for abortion pills nor can licensed health professionals in those states prescribe mifepristone.
“Being able to access your prescribed medication abortion through the mail or to pick it up in person from a pharmacy like any other prescription is a game changer for people trying to access basic health care,” Planned Parenthood Federation of America President Alexis McGill Johnson said. “While we’re still fighting against bans and restrictions on medication abortion at the state level, it’s critical that people in states where abortion is legal have access to care. Today’s changes will help millions of people have more access to the care they need, when they need it.”
Read more at Axios. Read more about the FDA rule change here.
NEW JERSEY TO AWARD $15M TO ABORTION PROVIDERS: Yesterday, New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy announced that the state will award $15 million in zero-interest loans and grants to reproductive health care clinics for facility upgrades and security. Already, $6 million has been awarded to 15 applicants, including Planned Parenthood health centers serving greater New Jersey. Program grantees must provide a “full spectrum of reproductive health services,” including abortion, birth control, pregnancy testing, basic infertility services, and family planning counseling. Kaitlyn Wojtowicz, Planned Parenthood Action Fund of New Jersey’s Vice President of Public Affairs, spoke with the Associated Press about the grants’ impact:
“I really see this as a great step toward making up for the lack of investment we saw for eight years. The reason it’s needed predates Dobbs. But what we saw with Dobbs is that so many people across the country are without care, and we see more people coming to New Jersey.”
Read more at AP.