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REPORT: Costco has decided not to dispense the abortion pill
According to a report from Bloomberg News, Costco Wholesale — though it has not formally issued any notices — has decided not to dispense the abortion pill (mifepristone 200mg) at its more than 500 pharmacy locations.
Key Takeaways:
Though Costco Wholesale has not yet issued a formal notice, the company told Bloomberg News in a statement that it “hasn’t seen consumer demand for the [abortion] pill.”
A group of shareholders urged Costco in 2024 to resist pressure to sell abortion drugs; the company did not say whether this appeal led to their decision.
Other pharmacies like Walgreens and CVS have chosen to dispense the abortion pill.
Kroger and Sam’s Club clarified in late 2024 that their pharmacies were not selling the abortion pill mifepristone, and that any appearance to the contrary was due to a third-party error.
Alliance Defending Freedom, a pro-life legal group, intends to turn its focus to Walgreens and CVS.
The Background:
In 2024, Live Action documented that a group of shareholders mailed a series of letters to Costco, Walmart, Kroger, Albertsons, and McKesson, calling on them to resist political pressure to begin selling chemical abortion drugs at their pharmacies. These letters were signed by Christian financial technology firm Inspire Insight, financial advisor David Bahnsen, proxy voting and corporate engagement consultant Jerry Bowyer, and GuideStone Financial Services.
Together, the signatories represent over $100 billion in assets under management, including more than $172 million in ownership of the five retailers.
Six thousand Costco members also signed a petition to the membership-only big-box retailer, Live Action News noted at the time.
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.
While corporations like Walgreens and CVS capitulate to political pressure to enter the abortion business, Jeremy Tedesco, senior counsel and senior vice president of corporate engagement for ADF, praised Costco and other U.S. pharmacies that have not caved, writing on X: “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…”
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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
“Costco posted better-than-expected earnings in the third quarter, demonstrating its loyal customers were keeping the brand strong at a time of economic uncertainties, and the company has been credited with taking a stand against conservative opposition to its DEI policies during its most recent annual meeting. The retailer’s decision raises the stakes of a pitched battle over the drug,” wrote Bloomberg.
Pro-abortion Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.) said she is “deeply alarmed by news reports that Costco is refusing to sell [the abortion drugs] for no other reason than to appease the politics of anti-abortion fanatics.” She pressured Costco to begin selling the abortion pill, claiming that it is limiting access and therefore harming women.
Although late in 2024, Kroger and Sam’s Club websites suggested their pharmacies were dispensing the abortion pill, the companies claimed this was the result of a third-party error.
This was confirmed in the Bloomberg News report as well, where the media outlet wrote:
Kroger said it has never offered the abortion pill and continues to evaluate the regulatory environment. Walmart and Albertsons currently do not offer the medicine. Walmart and Albertsons declined to comment.
Last year, Live Action drafted a petition to urge pharmacies including Walmart, Costco, Kroger, Albertsons, and McKesson not to become certified dispensers of the abortion pill.
The Bottom Line:
Michael Ross, legal counsel for the corporate engagement team at ADF, told Bloomberg that this news is “a very significant win and it’s one we hope to build on this coming year.”
Bloomberg added that the focus of ADF will now be “on Walgreens Boots Alliance and CVS Health Corp., which dispense mifepristone in pharmacies in states where abortion is legal.”
Editor’s Note 8/17/2025: This article was updated to include a quote from Sen. Murray.
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Abortion Pill·By Carole Novielli
