Costco Won't Dispense Abortion Pill After Conservative Pressure Campaign
Source: Huff Post
Aug 14, 2025, 08:20 PM EDT | Updated 7 hours ago
In a move emboldening right-wing activists to keep up their pressure campaigns, Costco confirmed Thursday that it won’t seek certification to dispense mifepristone, also known as the abortion pill. In an announcement first reported by Bloomberg News, Costco said the decision was “based on the lack of demand from our members and other patients” for mifepristone, the first drug used in what’s usually a two-step regimen. Costco did not return HuffPost’s request to elaborate on the decision, but the conservative activist groups who lobbied for it are calling the announcement a big win ― and say they’re setting their sights on more pharmacies.
“Retailers like Costco keep their doors open by selling a lifetime of purchases to families, both large and small. They have nothing to gain and much to lose by becoming abortion dispensaries,” Michael Ross, legal counsel for the Christian legal organization Alliance Defending Freedom, said in a statement. “Retail pharmacies exist to serve the health and wellness of their customers, but abortion drugs like mifepristone undermine that mission by putting women’s health at risk,” he continued.
In reality, abortion pills have proven to be safe and effective, even when dispensed via telehealth, despite claims peddled by anti-abortion groups. Medication abortion accounts for nearly two-thirds of pregnancy terminations in the U.S., up 10% from 2020. Kiki Freedmand, the co-founder and CEO of abortion pill provider Hey Jane, emphasized the safety of mifepristone and said Costco’s decision was an alarming step in the wrong direction.
“Expanding the number of ways patients can get mifepristone is critical to protecting access to care,” she told HuffPost. “Every pharmacy that chooses to dispense this medication helps break down barriers and ensures people can get safe, legal and essential care in their own communities.”
Read more: https://www.huffpost.com/entry/costco-abortion-pill-mifepristone_n_689e2dfee4b048e97f077baa
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In a statement Thursday, Costco said the decision was “based on the lack of demand from our members and other patients.” The company did not answer further questions from The Washington Post about the influence of outside groups.
The battle over whether mifepristone would be sold in retail pharmacies began in March 2024, when CVS and Walgreens received FDA certification to sell the pill.
Four months later, New York City Comptroller Brad Lander sent letters to a handful of other household-name pharmacies, urging them to follow in the footsteps of CVS and Walgreens. In his letters to Costco, Walmart, Kroger, Albertsons and McKesson, Landers reminded the companies that New York City’s pension system owned shares in them. The shares in Costco alone at the time were valued at $443.9 million. Getting certified to dispense the pill, Lander wrote to Costco CEO Ron Vachris, “aligns with both long-term shareholder interests and women’s health care needs.” As pressure from investors mounted, Costco indicated it did not plan to become certified to sell mifepristone, citing customer interest.
Note in 2024, Costco had just 0.6% of the total retail pharmacy market. This isn't anything like if CVS, Walgreens or Walmart stopped selling it.
I'm have to quit shopping at Costco? Where does it all end?!?!
Their market share is a tiny 0.6%.
If they did sell it, there'd likely be less than a dozen customers for it per store on an annual basis. It would be a problem if CVS, Walgreens & Walmart stopped selling it. Costco? Not impactful at all.
