Costco won’t sell abortion pill at pharmacies in win for pro-life groups

Costco Wholesale Corp. will forgo dispensing the abortion pill mifepristone, citing low customer interest, in a victory for pro-life organizations seeking to pull the drugs from pharmaceutical shelves.

“Our position at this time not to sell mifepristone, which has not changed, is based on the lack of demand from our members and other patients, who we understand generally have the drug dispensed by their medical providers,” said the company in a Thursday statement to media outlets, as reported by Reuters.

The decision by the nation’s third-largest retailer to stop mifepristone sales at its 500-plus pharmacies comes amid a pitched battle over the drug’s access between abortion foes and pro-choice advocates led by New York City Comptroller Brad Lander.

The Democrat Mr. Lander said Thursday that “Costco’s refusal to dispense mifepristone is disappointing and short-sighted.”

“Failure to provide access to safe, FDA-approved medication under the guise of ‘weak demand’ risks isolating customers and undermines the company’s credibility,” said Mr. Lander on X.

Those cheering Costco’s announcement included the Alliance Defending Freedom, part of a coalition led by Inspire Investing that has pushed U.S. pharmacy chains to forego seeking Food and Drug Administration certification to dispense mifepristone.

“We applaud Costco for doing the right thing by its shareholders and resisting activist calls to sell abortion drugs,” said ADF legal counsel Michael Ross in a statement. “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.”

Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America said on X that “Costco is standing up for women & unborn children by refusing to sell mifepristone.”

The free-market State Financial Officers Foundation called the decision “a win for responsible corporate governance.”

Huge win: @Costco won’t cave to activist pressure to turn stores into abortion pill dispensaries.

No business case. No shareholder upside. Just ideology—and it failed.

Credit to @Inspireadvisor, @JerryLeeBowyer, @AMACforAmerica, @SFOF_States & other fiduciary trustees who…

— Jeremy Tedesco (@Jeremy_Tedesco) August 14, 2025

Last year, Mr. Lander urged Costco and others to follow the example of CVS and Walgreens by taking “the necessary steps to receive certification to dispense the medication mifepristone in states where it is legal.”

He said making mifepristone available at the pharmacies would increase sales and generate “long-term shareholder value,” while the foundation called his actions “clear attempts to politicize Costco’s business without regard for the company’s well-being.”

Inspire Investing said in March that Walmart and Kroger are not filling prescriptions for abortion pills, citing its communications with the firms.

The FDA has loosened restrictions on mifepristone since approving the drug for abortion use in 2000, raising concerns about increasing safety risks to pregnant women in the name of expanding access.

After the Supreme Court overturned the Roe v. Wade decision in 2022, the FDA dropped its in-person dispensing requirement for mifepristone and allowed certified pharmacies to fill prescriptions for the drug.

Mifepristone, used in conjunction with the drug misoprostol, is FDA-approved to end pregnancies up to 10 weeks’ gestation.