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      Common questions about mifepristone dispensing at CVS Pharmacy

      March 12, 2024 |3 minute read

      Pharmacist fills prescription

      In support of women’s health, CVS Health® is committed to providing access to safe, legal and evidence-based reproductive health information, resources, medical services and FDA-approved products. 

      As a result, CVS Pharmacy® has begun filling prescriptions for mifepristone in select states where legally permissible. This follows the completion of a robust Food and Drug Administration (FDA) certification process, known as the Mifepristone Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy (REMS) Program, and implementation of all FDA-required protocols for this medication. 

      Below are answers to frequently asked questions about mifepristone dispensing at CVS Pharmacy. 

      Our company has a long history of supporting and advancing women’s health and we remain focused on meeting their unique health needs.

      This includes providing access to safe, legal, and evidence-based reproductive health services, information, and FDA-approved products. 

      We’re currently dispensing mifepristone in our pharmacies in select states where legally permissible.

      State laws vary widely and can shift frequently based on legislative action or court decisions. After an extensive review of current state laws, we’ve decided to move ahead with mifepristone dispensing in several states where legally permissible.

      We comply with all laws and regulations, so the list of states we are dispensing the medication in may change as legislation or court cases are introduced or resolved.

      Pharmacies, including CVS Pharmacy, cannot fill mifepristone prescriptions in every state.

      • In certain states, abortions are illegal.
      • In certain other states where abortion is otherwise legal, pharmacists are prohibited from dispensing mifepristone.
      • These states may require mifepristone to be administered by a physician, in the presence of a physician, in a hospital or clinical setting, or have other laws in place that prohibit pharmacies from dispensing this medication.

      These restrictions apply to all retail pharmacies. State laws vary widely and can shift frequently based on legislative action and/or court decisions.

      We continually monitor and evaluate changes in state laws and will dispense mifepristone in any state where it is or becomes legally permissible to do so. 

      We’re following our standard approach for launching a multi-state program. By using a phased approach for new programs, we help ensure the highest standards of quality and service are met.

      We expect to expand to other states where legally permissible in the weeks ahead.

      No, CVS pharmacists cannot prescribe mifepristone. Mifepristone can only be prescribed by health care providers who are certified under the FDA’s Mifepristone REMS program. 

      At this time, mifepristone is not eligible for delivery.

      Per the FDA’s REMS program requirements for this medication, we must ensure a provider is certified to prescribe mifepristone which may result in a slight delay in filling prescriptions. 

      We expect to be able to fill prescriptions for mifepristone within a few days of receipt/drop off and within the requirements of the REMS program. 

      We take patient and prescriber privacy seriously and have processes and procedures in place to safeguard this information.

      We have policies in place to ensure no patient is ever denied access to medication prescribed by a physician based on an employee’s religious or moral beliefs. 

      The law requires that we reasonably accommodate employees’ sincerely held religious beliefs and, in some states, employees’ moral and ethical beliefs, that may prevent a pharmacist from filling specific medications or a pharmacy team member from selling specific medications. 

      In such instances, the employee must notify us about these beliefs in advance so we can provide a reasonable accommodation to the employee and ensure there are other arrangements in place to promptly meet our patients’ medication needs.