Costco Won’t Sell Abortion Pill, Rebuffing Abortion Activists

Major retailer Costco has decided against selling abortion pill mifepristone at its 500+ pharmacies across the nation, sparking praise from pro-life activists.

Costco joins other major retailers, like Walmart and Kroger, in refusing to sell the life-ended pill, which has been marred by controversy over its safety for women.

“Kudos to [Costco, Walmart, Albertsons, & Kroger] for protecting shareholder value over activist demands,” he added, referring to the companies’ decision to refuse to sell mifepristone.

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…

— Jeremy Tedesco (@Jeremy_Tedesco) August 14, 2025

Pro-lifers were quick to praise the move by Costco, while also calling out other major pharmacies, like CVS and Walgreens, which do sell the controversial drug.

BREAKING: @Costco will NOT sell the deadly abortion pill!@Walgreens & @cvspharmacy should follow Costco’s lead and immediately stop trafficking in the deaths of children.

The FDA must pull its approval for this lethal drug!

— Lila Rose (@LilaGraceRose) August 14, 2025

“Students for Life has worked hard to call on pharmacies to reject these dangerous drugs,” Hawkins wrote. “Great to see 500+ pharmacies truly living up to their slogan, ‘Simplifying Home and LIFE.’ Protecting moms, protecting babies.”

WIN: Costco said NO to distributing deadly Chemical Abortion Pills. @StudentsforLife worked hard to call on pharmacies to reject these dangerous drugs.

Great to see 500+ pharmacies truly living up to their slogan: “Simplifying Home and LIFE.” Protecting moms, protecting… pic.twitter.com/l5vFWLPbme

— Kristan Hawkins (@KristanHawkins) August 14, 2025

The safety of mifepristone has become a key issue in the fight over abortion and women’s safety. As highlighted by The Daily Wire, the pill, which is usually followed by misoprostol, aims to end the life of the unborn baby and expel it from the woman’s uterus. However, the drugs sometimes fail to expel all the fetal tissue, which can cause life-threatening complications.

An analysis released in April found that more than one in 10 women experienced a “serious adverse event” after taking the mifepristone abortion pill in 2023. This can include hemorrhaging, needing a blood transfusion, an emergency room visit, and even deadly conditions like sepsis.

That is about 22 times higher than what the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) listed on its label for the brand Mifeprex in 2023. The FDA cited clinical studies saying less than 0.5% of women suffered “serious adverse reactions” to mifepristone.

In June, FDA Commissioner Marty Makary committed to reviewing the pill.

“As the Commissioner of Food and Drugs, I am committed to conducting a review of mifepristone and working with the professional career scientists at the Agency who review this data,” Makary wrote in a letter to Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO). “As with all drugs, FDA continues to closely monitor the postmarketing safety data on mifepristone for the medical termination of early pregnancy.”

Mairead Elordi contributed to this report.

Related: More Than 1 in 20 Women Need Second Abortion Attempt After Abortion Pill Fails