HOUSTON — Some large drug store chains limited purchases of emergency contraception after a surge in demand following the Roe v. Wade ruling.
CVS Pharmacy and Walgreens are two that made changes.
Emergency contraception, also known as the “morning-after pill,” helps to prevent pregnancy after unprotected sex or birth control failure.
"We’re seeing a run on emergency contraception because people want to be able to manage their reproduction lives,” President of the Houston Area Women’s Center Emilie Whitehurst said.
A growing list of drug store retailers has placed purchase limits on the over-the-counter products. Some are limiting purchases to three per person.
CVS Pharmacy and Walgreens sent statements on their current policies:
- “Immediately following the Supreme Court decision, we saw a sharp increase in the sale of emergency contraceptives and implemented a temporary purchase limit to ensure equitable access. Sales have since returned to normal and we’ve removed purchase limits in-store and on CVS.com. We continue to have ample supply of emergency contraceptives to meet customer needs.”
- “We continue to have ample supply to meet customer demand. To help ensure ongoing access and availability for our customers and patients, we have implemented a purchase limit of 15 products per customer for Walgreens.com purchases only.”
Whitehurst said scarcity could lead to bigger issues.
"Reproductive coercion, which means an abuser who forces a partner to have children or leverages the threat of pregnancy as a tool to exercise abusive control, is a very common occurrence,” she said.
She said their nonprofit works directly with rape, incest and abuse victims. Whitehurst stressed quick accessible reproductive resources go hand in hand with the work they do.
"We need to be ready ... able to make the case consistently and reasonably and kindly that a person’s ability to manage their reproductive life is fundamental," she said.