Costco will not dispense the abortion medication mifepristone at its more than 500 pharmacies nationwide, a decision celebrated by conservative and faith-based groups that had lobbied the retailer for over a year.
Mifepristone, approved by the FDA in 2000 for terminating pregnancies up to 10 weeks, is used with misoprostol and now accounts for nearly two-thirds of all US abortions. Mifepristone-misoprostol account for nearly 586,000 abortions annually, according to data from the pro-abortion Guttmacher Institute, which says there are about 930,000 abortions committed annually.
Federal regulators eased restrictions in 2021 by dropping the in-person dispensing requirement and, in 2023, allowed certified retail pharmacies to provide the medication.
The announcement follows a campaign launched in August 2024 by Alliance Defending Freedom and Inspire Investing, a Christian investor group, urging major retailers not to sell mifepristone. The coalition’s letter, signed by some 6,000 members, was sent to Costco, Walmart, Kroger, Albertsons, and McKesson, warning that customers might take their business elsewhere if the companies offered the drug.
ADF Legal Counsel Michael Ross praised Costco’s decision not to pursue certification to sell what he called the “life-ending mifepristone drug.”
“We applaud Costco for doing the right thing by its shareholders and resisting activist calls to sell abortion drugs,” Ross said. “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. We’re honored to work alongside the many like-minded partners who made this moment possible.”
Costco’s position mirrors that of Walmart and Kroger, which also do not carry mifepristone. By contrast, CVS and Walgreens are moving forward with certification and currently offer the drug in states where abortion is promoted.