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lostincalifornia

(4,458 posts)
Thu Aug 14, 2025, 07:58 PM Aug 14

Costco Forgoes Sale of Abortion Pill, Emboldening Religious Groups

Source: Bloomberg News

"Costco Wholesale Corp. has decided not to dispense the abortion pill mifepristone at its more than 500 pharmacy locations, a decision hailed by a group of faith-based activists who urged the retailer to avoid selling the drug.

Costco said in a statement that it hasn’t seen consumer demand for the pill, and had no comment on whether the conservative group had any role in its decision. The religious coalition includes Idaho-based Inspire Investing; conservative activist organization Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF); and treasurers and other financial officials from states such as Ohio, Texas, Nevada and Utah. Last year, the group had asked the company to not begin selling the medication.

“It’s a very significant win and it’s one we hope to build on this coming year,” said Michael Ross, legal counsel for the corporate engagement team at ADF.

He said the group will now focus on Walgreens Boots Alliance and CVS Health Corp., which dispense mifepristone in pharmacies in states where abortion is legal. Patients in states where abortion is illegal can also get the pills through the mail in states where the procedure is not outlawed."

Read more: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-08-14/costco-won-t-sell-abortion-pill-as-religious-investors-focus-on-cvs-walgreens



Another excellent job by those who refused to endorse or vote for VP Harris.



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lostincalifornia

(4,458 posts)
3. I don't think the article said that. It said that Costco wasn't seeing a demand for it. Regardless, the difference
Thu Aug 14, 2025, 08:44 PM
Aug 14

is as I see it is that Costco has now made it their official policy.

Which means that if a physician requested a special order for a Rx for a patient, Costco wouldn't honor it based on this I believe.


wolfie001

(6,130 posts)
6. Costco chickened out
Thu Aug 14, 2025, 09:46 PM
Aug 14

When confronted by christo-fascism, they folded. There's one near me in Maryland where I live. I shop at the Union Giant based in Landover. You can fill your prescription there. I hate cowards as much as christo-fascists.

lostincalifornia

(4,458 posts)
13. Whatever the reason, you are correct, they chickened out most likely because they thought they would lose
Thu Aug 14, 2025, 11:34 PM
Aug 14

their business.

Hekate

(99,443 posts)
12. I don't know what that means, myself. My local has accommodated me for OTC requests....
Thu Aug 14, 2025, 11:17 PM
Aug 14

… but I don’t recall ever taking an Rx to them for something they don’t stock and having them call another source for it. There was one time we were directed to another Costco pharmacy for an Rx my local was out of — but that’s different.

wolfie001

(6,130 posts)
15. Maybe they're pulling a Claude Rains like in "Casablanca"
Fri Aug 15, 2025, 06:38 AM
Aug 15

"I'm shocked, shocked to find that gambling is going on in here!" Meanwhile, letting women get the healthcare that they need one way or another. Maybe that's what it's gonna take for the next 3 1/2 years until the average, under-educated American voter figures it all out.

Grins

(8,837 posts)
9. This is another example of breaking the Doctor-Patient covenant.
Thu Aug 14, 2025, 10:42 PM
Aug 14

To use a religious word, the Doctor-Patient confidentiality and covenant bond is SACRED! Secured in oaths and in the binding ethics in every state’s code of conduct, and certification as legal members of the medical profession that allows them to practice medicine. Violate it - and you can lose your medical license, your career - and worse!

Here we have an agenda-driven 3rd party going after another 3rd party, to come between a patient and a doctor and block dispensing a legal Rx because it offends them.

It’s bad enough doctors and patients have to fight insurance companies. Now they have to fight pharmacies, too.

V850i

(112 posts)
10. That's sad, Costco is a good corporate citizen for the most part
Thu Aug 14, 2025, 10:46 PM
Aug 14

They should have just never said anything about it. If there is no demand for it at Costco why even make this decision?

If I am not mistaken they have kept their DEI programs, they support the union etc... I am surprised by this decision.

Hekate

(99,443 posts)
11. I am a member. Don't bother telling me to quit -- this is a deviation from their customary decency ...
Thu Aug 14, 2025, 11:02 PM
Aug 14

…and I believe worth fighting. Someone got to them, and they need to hear differently. I have many questions about how they came to this decision, and I am sure they’ve been fed a lot of — well, let’s just call it lies and be done with it.

If they think it’s not asked for a lot — well, the pharmacists at my local have gone out of their way to get me OTC medications that Costco doesn’t carry, when I request them.

If they think Mifepristone is used solely for killing darling babies by wicked, wicked women, they need to be informed differently. I have written at length about the changing goalposts in my lifetime regarding what abortion is. By the time the “pro-life” people got to IUDs and The Pill, and moved on to lifesaving procedures I recall from my own mother’s era, I knew damn well the forced-birthers had an agenda that would kill women — and that is happening now.

If they think it has no purpose beyond abortion, they need to be told the many chronic diseases it can be used for:

AI Overview from query about mifepristone and chronic diseases
Mifepristone, while primarily known for its role in medical abortion, is also used to treat a variety of chronic conditions due to its effects on progesterone and glucocorticoid receptors.
Specifically, mifepristone is used or being investigated for the following chronic diseases:
Cushing's Syndrome: Mifepristone is FDA-approved to manage hyperglycemia (high blood sugar) associated with Cushing's syndrome in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus or glucose intolerance who have failed surgery or are unable to undergo surgery. It blocks the effects of cortisol, a hormone overproduced in Cushing's syndrome.
Uterine Fibroids (Leiomyomas): Studies suggest that mifepristone can shrink uterine fibroids, which are benign growths in the uterus, and alleviate related symptoms like pelvic pain and heavy menstrual bleeding. This offers a non-surgical alternative for some women.
Endometriosis: Mifepristone's ability to block progesterone receptors is being investigated for its potential to treat endometriosis, a condition where endometrial tissue grows outside the uterus.
Psychiatric Disorders: Mifepristone has shown promise in treating conditions like psychotic depression, major depressive disorder, and potentially post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), according to the National Institutes of Health (NIH) | (.gov). It may help regulate stress signals in the brain by blocking the receptors that stress hormones bind to.
Certain Cancers: Ongoing research suggests mifepristone may play a role in treating hormone-sensitive cancers such as breast, ovarian, and prostate cancer by interfering with hormone-dependent tumor growth.
Adenomyosis: Clinical trials suggest that mifepristone might be an effective and safe treatment option for adenomyosis, characterized by endometrial tissue growing into the uterine muscle wall.
It's important to note that while some of these applications are well-established, such as in Cushing's syndrome, others are still under investigation and may be considered off-label uses. Further research is ongoing to fully understand the benefits and mechanisms of action of mifepristone in treating various chronic diseases.


Here’s a link for contact
https://customerservice.costco.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/828

Here’s more
Costco Wholesale
P.O. Box 34331
Seattle, WA 98124
Finally, feel free to call us at 425-313-8100. We’re available Monday–Friday, 8 a.m.–5 p.m. PT.

DON’T GIVE UP WITHOUT A FIGHT

bif

(26,224 posts)
16. They never sold it in the first place!
Sat Aug 16, 2025, 04:49 PM
Aug 16

So what's with all the anti-Costco rage? It won't be long before we have to boycott every company in the country.

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