'I'll never need this medication. And now it seems I'll never need anything from Walgreens'

[bigtree]

Alice Miranda Ollstein @AliceOllstein
BREAKING: Walgreens confirmed to @politico that they will not dispense abortion pills in several states where they remain legal. The decision follows pressure and threats of legal action from GOP AGs and anti-abortion groups.

Alice Miranda Ollstein @AliceOllstein
The GOP AGs are also pressuring CVS, Kroger, Walmart, Albertsons, Rite Aid and Costco not to dispense the pills, but those chains have not yet disclosed their plans.

Link to tweet

[ProfessorGAC]

1. They're Folding Like A Washrag

Cowardly management decision.
There's an important attribute in management called managerial courage.
Walgreens is showing none.

[barbtries]

17. just illustrates

how less women are. they just don't matter. not actually human.
fuck them all actually. women schwomen.

nah. i'm not bitter!

[ProfessorGAC]

25. It's Ridiculous

At our age, it doesn't affect us at all. And, we're still outraged at this act of cowardice.
That's what separates us from repukes!

[barbtries]

27. I think we are affected,

because we care about people. I know I am and I bet you are too.

[ProfessorGAC]

33. Fair Enough

I think we're making the same point.
Otherwise this wouldn't bother my wife & I. We know wrong when we see it.

[Maraya1969]

56. That is so fucking true! Can you imagine the hysteria if they stopped selling Viagra!

I wonder what anti-women jerk GOPs would put up a fight.

[flying_wahini]

82. Maybe they should only sell Viagra to Married men under 40. Let's separate the

Wheat from the chaff. Sex for fun should be illegal, according to them. Right?

Or let’s do mandatory vasectomy for all males and you have to prove they are worthy to be fathers (and married with a good income) in order to qualify to get a reversal.

Let’s control men’s bodies the way they control women’s.

Do I need a sarcasm smilies here? REALLY?

[Meadowoak]

2. +1

[FalloutShelter]

3. Yep!

Walgreens is dead to me and I’m guessing, many thousands of my sisters.

[niyad]

6. It certainly is!!

[MayReasonRule]

8. ... and brothers, and others!!!

United we stand, or divided we fall.

This, is that.

[Coventina]

55. Walgreens is dead to me. Spreading the word!! n/t

[RKP5637]

4. Now the Black Market will take over, possibly contaminated pills, deaths of women and the

GOP will rejoice. It's party time GOP, more women are dying.

[Ninga]

5. It's much easier to vote than it is to boycott the corner Walgreens. The same people who don't

vote most likely won’t even learn about Wallgreens policy.

Our country today is fighting to repair democracy, and it’s for one reason and one reason only.
The people who don’t bother to vote, leave it up to the angry vindictive people who do vote.

[FakeNoose]

37. Nailed it! I share this "golden oldie" on DU every year around election time

[RKP5637]

7. I recently quit both CVS and Walgreens, and my drug cost went way down. These outfits IMO

are not to be trusted for anything.

[OMGWTF]

11. Costco is the best place for your prescriptions

We save 50% over what we were paying at a Kroger drugstore.

[RKP5637]

15. Yep!!!!!! n/t

[LisaM]

38. That's all well and good, but

Not everyone has a Costco membership and not everyone can get to a Costco. We have a Walgreens in our neighborhood and I can walk to it on my lunch hour.

This matters because Walgreens is often the most available place for people to get their prescriptions filled. It's inconvenient or impossible for people to get to a Costco if they don't have a car, even if they have a membership, which lots of people don't. (I had one through my old job, I don't now and I don't even know the requirements offhand).

I am currently working from home (in Seattle) and don't have access to a car during the work week. They have also eviscerated all local buses in favor of a very inconvenient light rail system which makes it very difficult to get around, especially if you're elderly, disabled, or poor.

Going to Walgreens and back takes me about 35 minutes tops. Taking a bus (or two) to Costco, if I had a membership, would chew up at least three hours out of my day and I would have to cross busy streets and a large parking lot on foot to get in the door once I got there.

This is such a non starter for people. It's really important that Walgreens keeps dispensing these drugs.

[Richard D]

39. Have you tried cost plus drugs

Pennies on the dollar for generics over CVS etc. Delivered in a few days.

[LisaM]

42. I am not speaking only for myself.

Other than a temporary prescription for eye drops, I don't have any prescriptions. It was quite eye opening to me, waiting for my eye drops, to see how many people do.

My larger point is that Walgreens and places like it are often the most convenient and sometimes only option. And can someone who doesn't want her family or partner to know she's getting birth control pills safely have them delivered to her house or apartment?

People should have these pills easily available, no questions asked. They should be able to walk into a corner store and get them. This decision creates obstacles.

[Hekate]

50. You are correct about personal privacy, but as others have discovered, be prepared to pay cash...

… and don’t use the store discount.

[Hekate]

48. Double check on that membership thing. Costco where we used to live had a big sign at the door

… saying loud and clear that pharmacy customers should walk right in to that department regardless of membership status.

Since we moved, many things interfered with my noticing signs like that, because of COVID masks and whether toilet paper is being rationed were more on my mind. Now that things are more back to normal, I may look around. But seriously, you should check this out on your own and others’ behalf.

[LisaM]

52. I still can't get there easily.

They are not on the corner in walkable neighborhoods. And I live in a small apartment (not by choice, Seattle has decided to cram its residents into ever smaller spaces) so I don't have room for their huge amounts of stuff.

But this is not about me and Costco. It's about younger people without transportation who need these birth control pills, which should be OTC. Walgreens is being pressured by the right. It's unfair. I want to figure out how to reverse it, not send everyone off to big box discount stores which often aren't even in the city limits.

[Hekate]

65. What I just told you is that afaik *there is no membership requirement to use the pharmacy*

You are absolutely free to spurn their large quantities of other things and to develop a relationship with the pharmacists alone.

Your inability to actually get there is a wholly separate problem for which I am sorry.

[drmeow]

54. Rumor has it you don't need

a costco membership to use their pharmacy

[hippywife]

59. It's not a rumor...

it's true.

https://customerservice.costco.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/796/~/do-i-need-a-membership-to-purchase-prescription-drugs%3F

You don't need to be a Costco member to purchase Costco Pharmacy prescriptions online or at our warehouses. Our Pharmacy counter will accept several different forms of payment, including cash, debit/ATM cards, Costco Shop Cards, and Visa®.

[SouthernDem4ever]

69. Actually if your doing generics

costplusdrugs.com is your best source . It's Mark Cuban's effort to lower drug costs.

[ancianita]

74. Thanks. I'm looking around, and this is good to know.

[Freethinker65]

9. So refusing to dispense legal medication??? I assume they can no longer call themselves pharmacies?

So I also assume Walgreens won't be selling birth control in certain states or mailing across state lines as well? State legislators are already proposing monetary incentives for multiple births and no divorces and discouraging contraception. I am sure AGs from those States will get Walgreens to comply as well.

[Hekate]

49. Dubya's pet project. See post #20

[intheflow]

10. There are only two pharmacies anywhere near my house.

One is a Walgreens and the other is CVS. Gonna wait and see if CVS follows suit, but if they don’t within a week, I’m moving my prescriptions over there. Fuck Walgreens.

[MissB]

16. Amazon?

If you use Amazon, they do mail order prescriptions. I don’t know how deep their list of meds is.

[intheflow]

21. My prescription is pretty common.

This is an interesting idea. Thank you!

[nilram]

53. Cost Plus Drugs is even better, imo

Probably cheaper, if they carry it, and you don’t have to feed the Amazon machine.

[BonnieJW]

66. You're right

My blood pressure meds cost $100 for 90 days. At Cost Plus Drugs, they're 7.20

[Hekate]

22. Might be a good time to check them out to see what they stock and where they deliver

[LisaM]

43. Some of us boycott Amazon.

Last edited Fri Mar 3, 2023, 05:14 PM - Edit history (1)

It's becoming close to impossible but I still haven't given any money to those greedy assholes who ruined the retail landscape and won't pay taxes.

[MissB]

47. It's a fair criticism!

I did phrase it “if you use Amazon…” knowing that there are folks that absolutely do not like the behemoth that is Amazon.

[soldierant]

72. ***

[Aristus]

12. Once, it seemed like the GOP bowed, and scraped, and cowered before corporate America.

Now it seems the situation has reversed.

Sorry, corporate America; you were better off with Democrats, even with the regulation we proposed. Unfettered greed brought you to your current humiliation.

[Samrob]

23. They ARE corporate America. Their stock portfolios show this.

The poor GOP aren't woke enough to know how they are being used. Just listen to their interviews on TV.

[republianmushroom]

13. agree

[Marthe48]

14. I bought 6 morning after pills

If anyone needs the help. They are good till 2024.

[piddyprints]

18. I don't shop there.

And now have no reason to start.

[SheltieLover]

19. I detest Walgreens. Time for a boycott! I've not shopped there in years!

I used to have an rx for Etodolac, an old anti-inflammatory.

Walgreens generic price:$47

CVS generic price: $7.85

I've also real Walgreens has a habit of buying up farmland to build their shitty stores.

[Hekate]

20. Those who wonder how a pharmacist can refuse to stock/dispense a medication have been blind...

This was a pet project of the RW and George W. Bush back when he was president, which has been over 20 years ago.

It’s called the “conscience clause” and was passed into law by the US Congress. It doesn’t say anything about the cowardice of corporate owners (tho the Hobby Lobby case surely recognized a corporation’s right to interfere citing “conscience” ) but it, along with “personhood” laws (murder of a woman who is pregnant counts as two murders) set the stage for the steep and slippery slope down which we are currently sliding.

[Evolve Dammit]

80. Thank you. I did not know that. My GOP hatred started in 2000 with a genuinely stolen election.

[Stuart G]

24. Walgreens just said, "I want to ..."Go Bankrupt"...and it will.

Lots of places to shop other than Walgreens.

[Vinca]

26. I'd love to avoid them, but where I live you have a choice: Walgreens or Walgreens.

They've bought up all the other pharmacies around and sometimes you can't wait for mail delivery.

[BadgerMom]

28. My AARP/Medicare secondary insurance requires we use Walgreens. Any ideas?

I wonder if Good Rx would be a better option for us. **!# Walgreens.

[KPN]

31. Write a protest letter to AARP demanding

they force insurer to drop this requirement or AARP will drop them.

[BadgerMom]

40. Yes.

[Hekate]

32. First, I would suggest communicating with AARP. It can't hurt & might help, if enough people do so

One issue that will actually pertain to our age group is that the drugs in question are used for other, non-pregnancy related, conditions.

This came up on a quick google search:

https://www.kff.org/womens-health-policy/issue-brief/abortion-bans-may-limit-essential-medications-for-women-with-chronic-conditions/

The Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade and send the decision to ban or permit abortion back to the states will likely have health implications beyond banning abortion in many states. There have already been reports of clinicians and pharmacists denying women access to medications like methotrexate and misoprostol to manage their chronic conditions, such as autoimmune diseases and gastric ulcers, because the drugs are also used for medication abortions and treatment of ectopic pregnancies. In these reports, pharmacists have denied or delayed filling prescriptions unless specific codes for non-pregnancy related conditions are given. Some providers are also requesting patients take a pregnancy test to confirm a non-pregnant status before they will prescribe the medications. This analysis finds that the majority of those who use these drugs are women who are not pregnant but have diagnoses for other chronic conditions and rely on these medications to manage their health. Consequently, women of reproductive age with chronic conditions will be most impacted by these actions.

Methotrexate is indicated for treatment of rheumatoid arthritis and other autoimmune diseases that disproportionately affect women. The drug works by suppressing the immune system. Additionally, many chemotherapy regimens include methotrexate for treatment of adult and pediatric cancers, such as leukemia and breast cancer, where it works to slow or stop the growth of cancer cells. It also has some off label uses for common conditions like Crohn’s disease, lupus, and eczema. The drug is also a common treatment for ectopic pregnancies where it stops cells from dividing by interfering with the folic acid in your body.

Beyond methotrexate, another drug that may be limited because of its use in pregnancy terminations is misoprostol. Misoprostol is a prostaglandin that causes cervical softening and dilation, as well as uterine contractions. It is frequently used in obstetrics and gynecology for procedures like the medical management of miscarriage, induction of labor, cervical ripening before surgical procedures, and the treatment of postpartum hemorrhage. It is also indicated for reducing the risk of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAIDs like aspirin and ibuprofen) induced gastric ulcers in patients at high risk of complications from gastric ulcers. In combination with mifepristone, misoprostol can be used to terminate an intrauterine pregnancy through 70 days gestation. Access to methotrexate and misoprostol is essential for patients, especially women, with these cross-cutting conditions.

[BadgerMom]

41. Thank you.

Good info to use.

[Evolve Dammit]

81. Is that the United Healthcare plan(s)? I was considering that but I really don't like Walgreens.

[BadgerMom]

85. It is.

Until this happened we’ve been satisfied with it.

[Evolve Dammit]

88. It's tough to take in all the plans and make the best choice. Overly, mind-numbingly complicated.

[milestogo]

29. Well I guess I am done shopping at Walgreens.

[Pepsidog]

30. Go to local privately owned pharmacy, fast and easy. Getting scripts from Walgreens is like trying

cash a check at a bank. Walgreens always has an issue about something. Terrible place.

[ShazzieB]

75. Local privately owned pharmacy? What's that? 😉

J/K, but seriously, that is not a viable option for a lot of people. Those definitely don't exist around where I live.

I definitely remember when independent owned drugstores were quite common, but I literally haven't seen one in decades.

[Pepsidog]

89. I have one close to me and I walk in and out in less than 15 minutes with my scripts. I agree a lot

people don't have the option to choose.

[ShazzieB]

76. Local privately owned pharmacy? What's that? 😉

J/K, but seriously, that is not a viable option for a lot of people. Those definitely don't exist around where I live.

I definitely remember when independent owned drugstores were quite common, but I haven't seen one in decades.

[DownriverDem]

34. So glad

that Michigan's AG is a Dem as well as our Governor, Lt Governor, SOS and our SC is in Dem control.

[IronLionZion]

35. My local CVS closed and I'm running out of options in my neighborhood

Seems pretty stupid to stop selling a product that someone is obviously buying.

[PortTack]

36. Same...I'll go out of my way to not shop there!

[multigraincracker]

44. I get most of mine by mail with my insurance.

Some I don't like to wait for, I go to a local Independent Drug store rather than a big chain.
I get better service and one is a Compounding Drug store. If they don't have it they will make it. Also will make for pets.
I had one script that all the big stores no longer carry. my independent store ordered it for. I asked why the others don't carry it and he said not enough profit and he does as a service to his customers.

[Buckeyeblue]

45. I'm done with them as well

What is the best way to affirm that a particular drug store supports women's reproductive health?

[EleanorR]

46. The same walgreens that lied about it's shoplifting problem to help fuel rightwing rage pre-midterm?

What a surprise.

[LetMyPeopleVote]

51. I will not use Walgreens for anything

[allegorical oracle]

57. Right there with ya. This is ridiculous and seems unconstitutional. All prescriptions should be

available to anyone who needs them whether some court decides against that right or not. Medical care is about as basic a right to LIFE as it gets. This is all conservative payback for all the "slights" the extreme right has "suffered." BS.

[hippywife]

58. What's really odd...

is earlier this week, I received a prescription for misoprostol as protection for my kidneys ahead of an angiogram. Had no problems getting it from the pharmacy (small independent near the hospital), even here in OK. No questions asked at all. Guessing it was due to my age, but how would they know I wasn't going to pass it to someone?

[Stuart G]

60. Walgreens is too stupid to know it is stupid.(no pills sold where it's legal?.What is that about?)

[msongs]

61. one by one businesses cave for the nazis until there are no businesses left nt

[Scrivener7]

62. This.

[Meowmee]

64. Yep

That is what is happening.

[Meowmee]

63. Fascism in action

Boycott WG maybe?

[Joinfortmill]

68. Me too

[onecaliberal]

70. I call BS, they can't be sued for dispensing medication that is legal.

[Bluethroughu]

71. Done. No more anything from them. They are on the do not shop list.

[ancianita]

73. That's it. I'm done with Walgreens.

[2naSalit]

77. If all those stores do the same...

And certainly if that asshole judge deceides to take it all away, I call for a women's strike.

All women should just shut the fucking country down. If we all refuse to do a damned thing for anyone for a few days, see if anyone notices that we exist.

[samnsara]

78. glad that rag store is nowhere near me

[BobTheSubgenius]

79. Another day in Margaret Atwood's world.

I imagine The Scarlet Letter won't be far behind.

[Raven123]

83. Just wait until the same people demand they stop selling contraceptives.

[The Jungle 1]

84. E.D. pills should be banned.

Only men who are married and have a signed note from their wife should be allowed to buy them.

[Paladin]

86. Looks like Walgreens can do without my Rx business. I'm making it so.

I urge others to do likewise. Plenty of other pharmacies out there.

[Jilly_in_VA]

87. I am doing mail order for my Rxs.

I had a choice of Walgreens or Walmart for stuff I need immediately on my Part D. I know stuff about Walmart pharmacies that I wish I didn't, besides which there are always godawful lines there whenever I am in the place, so I decided on Walgreens. I never use them unless I have to. Maybe next year things will be different.