Monitoring Desk
NEW YORK: California wouldn’t do business with Walgreens Boots Alliance Inc, said Governor Gavin Newsom said on Monday, days after the pharmacy chain said it wouldn’t dispense abortion pills in some Republican-dominated states.
The state refuses to do business with Walgreens and “any company that cowers to the extremists and puts women’s lives at high risk,” said Newsom, a Democrat.
A spokesperson for the governor said that “all relationships” between Walgreens and the state were now under review but declined to detail how business ties might change.
“Wouldn’t dispense abortion pills in 20 states”
Walgreens said previous week it wouldn’t dispense abortion pills in 20 states, including states where abortion remains legal, where the Republican attorneys general warned it of high risking breaking the law if it distributed the pills.
In a statement issued later to clarify its position, Walgreens said that it planned to dispense abortion pill mifepristone in any jurisdiction where it was legally permissible to do so.
The company said that ”once we are certified by FDA, we would dispense this medication consistent with federal and state laws”.
Walgreens didn’t immediately respond to a Reuters request to clarify whether it would dispense abortion pills in the 20 states.
The United States (US) Food and Drug Administration in January permitted retail pharmacies to sell abortion pill mifepristone, including by mail, an issue they were certified under major safety rules for the drug.
