Two of the nation's largest pharmacy chains both announced plans to begin selling the abortion pill mifepristone in several states where abortion is legal in coming weeks. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration certified CVS and Walgreens to dispense the medication under new rules issued by the Biden administration last year.

• Walgreens expects to begin dispensing pills within a week, starting with New York, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, California and Illinois. "Our goal is to gradually expand availability to all locations in all legally permissible states in a phased approach," a company spokesperson said.
• CVS said it will begin filling prescriptions in Massachusetts and Rhode Island in coming weeks and will expand to additional states where abortion is legal "on a rolling basis."

"With major retail pharmacy chains newly certified to dispense medication abortion, many women will soon have the option to pick up their prescription at a local, certified pharmacy –  just as they would for any other medication," President Joe Biden said in a statement.

Mifepristone is part of a two-drug regimen that is used to end pregnancies up to 10 weeks of gestation. It is used in more than half of all abortions, the abortion-rights nonprofit Guttmacher Institute has said. CVS will carry generic mifepristone, made by drugmaker GenBioPro, and Walgreens will carry brand-name Mifeprex from drugmaker Danco.