Aug 14 (Reuters) - Costco Wholesale (COST.O) , said on Thursday it will stop selling abortion pill mifepristone across all its U.S. pharmacy stores, citing low demand.

“Our position at this time not to sell mifepristone, which has not changed, is based on the lack of demand from our members and other patients, who we understand generally have the drug dispensed by their medical providers,” Costco said, adding that it will stop the sale at its more than 500 pharmacies.

The decision comes amid campaigns against the pill by religious activist groups, including Inspire Investing and Alliance Defending Freedom.

“Many retailers have become more cautious about taking overt political or social stances after recent controversies triggered boycotts, negative media coverage, and polarized consumer reactions,” said Arun Sundaram, senior analyst at CFRA.

  • MerrySkeptic@sh.itjust.works
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    5 days ago

    I read elsewhere that they never sold it. I read the article but it seems to contradict itself. It says Costco “stopped selling” it, but it also quotes Costco as saying “Our position at this time not to sell mifepristone, which has not changed, is based on the lack of demand from our members and other patients, who we understand generally have the drug dispensed by their medical providers,” (emphasis mine).

    So either Reuters is wrong when it says they stopped selling, or Costco is lying when it says it’s position never changed

    • Boddhisatva@lemmy.world
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      5 days ago

      The headline and article have been corrected:

      Aug 14 (Reuters) - (This Aug. 14 story has been corrected to say that Costco will ‘not sell’ mifepristone instead of ‘stop selling’ the pill in paragraph 1 and removes reference to ‘stopping sale’ in paragraph 2)

    • Ajen@sh.itjust.works
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      5 days ago

      The way I read it, if Costco isn’t lying then Reuters is lying.

      “Our position at this time not to sell mifepristone, which has not changed, is based on the lack of demand from our members and other patients, who we understand generally have the drug dispensed by their medical providers,” Costco said, adding that it will stop the sale at its more than 500 pharmacies.

      Reuters reported that Costco explicit said they’d stop selling the drug, but apparently chose not to include that part of the quote for some reason.