Walgreens says it won’t send abortion pills to Kansas after letter from Kobach

JOHNSON COUNTY, Kan. (KCTV) - Walgreens pharmacy says they won’t be sending abortion pills to Kansas because of a letter sent to them from the Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach.

“The law is the law,” says Kobach.

That’s the reason Kobach says he sent a letter to Walgreens warning that sending abortion pills to Kansas would be a violation.

Earlier this year the FDA finalized a rule change under the Biden Administration allowing pharmacies to seek certification to dispense the abortion pill.

CVS and Walgreen’s are two of the groups currently seeking that certification.

The attorney general sent a letter to Walgreen’s stating there is a federal statute that bars the sending of an abortion pill through the mail and a Kansas state statute currently under litigation, that makes it mandatory for a doctor to be present whenever any abortion procedure or pill is administered.

Walgreens announced today that they would not be sending abortion pills to Kansas but that quote “if this approach changes, we will be sure to notify you.”

READ MORE: After warning from AG, Walgreens won’t send abortion pills to Kansas after all

The attorney general says beyond this action being unlawful, he believes there is a higher chance for coercion and that there is a safety issue.

“The pro-choice movement has always been, let’s make abortions safe. Well in this regard, I would agree with that, if we are going to have abortion procedures there ought to be a doctor present, it should be safe. Just dispensing pills directly and letting people administer this procedure themselves, I think is dangerous.

Emily Wales the President and CEO of Planned Parenthood Great Plains Votes, who advocates for the rights of patients in Missouri and Kansas released this statement:

“Like many medications — including those with much higher complication risks — mifepristone can be prescribed and filled safely at a pharmacy. The real threat of coercion is when reactionary politicians weigh in on areas outside their expertise and, like many in the Kansas legislature, prioritize funding for non-medical and misleading anti-abortion centers rather than seeking ways to expand access to health care. The attorney general knew this was never an issue but put politics before solving real problems”.

Kobach says he is pleased with the response from Walgreens and says him and his team are currently working on a letter to CVS.

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