Banning drugs for medical abortion: American pharmacy chains are caught between two fires
Previously, the attorneys general of 21 states where abortion was prohibited or significantly limited, sent a letter to the Walgreens, CVS and Rite Aid chains threatening legal action if mifepristone was sold, including by mail. It worked in part: Walgreens, whose annual shareholder meeting was picketed by abortion opponents, publicly announced it would no longer sell the drug in those states and even in Kansas, where abortion rights are enshrined in the state constitution. In a blow from the left, California Gov. Gavin Newsom announced the state would not renew its $54 million contract with Walgreens to supply local prisons. And on Twitter, liberal activists launched the hashtag #boycottwalgreens.
As a result, other large pharmacy chains, fearing criticism from both sides, try not to speak out on this issue. But 18 Democratic senators have already sent letters to Walgreens, CVS, Rite Aid, Albertsons, Walmart, Kroger and Costco demanding clarity on their policies regarding the sale of mifepristone. But it seems that political pressure works not only with pharmacies and in the abortion industry, but even with Big Pharma. President Biden's 2024 budget proposal promises to cut the maximum insulin price to $35, not just for Medicare retirees, but for all Americans. And although the budget will definitely not be adopted, the measure, supported by 84% of Americans, could still become a reality.
Pharmaceutical firm Eli Lilly announced it would cut the price of insulin by 70% to $25 per dose, and the out-of-pocket cost of insulin (the rest would be covered by health insurance) would be capped at $35 a month. And a few days later, another major insulin manufacturer, Novo Nordisk, made a similar decision: their most popular insulin, NovoLog, will fall in price from $289 to $72 from the beginning of 2024. In this case, political pressure is combined with increased competition. Utah-based nonprofit pharmaceutical company Civica plans to start selling insulin for $2024 per dose starting in 30. And new production facilities for the drug are planned to be opened by both billionaire Mark Cuban and California authorities, who have invested 100 million in direct purchases of insulin at prices close to cost.
Walgreens' sole supplier of mifepristone announced it would no longer ship the drug to the chain's pharmacies in 20 states instead of 31.
Author: Yan Veselov
