Colorado pharmacies caught in the middle of abortion battle after FDA decision
Thank you so much for joining us tonight for Denver 7 News at 5. I'm Jacqueline Allen. And I'm Ben Wang. Pharmacy chains are becoming a battleground for reproductive rights after the FDA expanded access to abortion pills. And we are seeing rallies on both sides in Colorado today. Here's Denver 7's Christian Lopez. Back in January, the FDA announced it would allow retail pharmacies to sell the abortion pill inside their stores.
That decision has caused a lot of controversy. While you're going in there to get a six pack of Coca Cola or a medicine to help heal your body, someone might be in there trying to end the life of their baby. Pharmacies are finding themselves caught in the middle of the abortion battle. It's not okay. Dozens gathered for a protest in front of this Littleton CBS Saturday, saying they don't want these pills to be sold inside stores. Everyone is being commercialized. It's going to be everywhere.
This comes as Walgreens received a letter from 20 Republican-led states threatening legal action. Now Walgreens says it won't sell the pill in those states. We checked and Colorado was not on that list. Get out of the way! On the flip side of the abortion debate at the state capitol Saturday, a group of students rallied in support of reproductive rights. The abortion pill medication has been used for over two decades now and it makes healthcare more accessible and affordable to folks all across the country. Walgreens says it is working on getting certified through the FDA to be able to sell the pill where they are legally able to do so. Reporting in Littleton, I'm Christian Lopez, Denver 7.
Looking closer at abortion medication, there's still widespread confusion over access to this medication. Now according to a survey by the Kaiser Family Foundation, nearly half of Americans do not know if medication for abortions is illegal where they live. That includes two out of five women of childbearing age. In addition, about half were unsure whether medication abortion requires, uh, Medicaid abortion requires a prescription, which it does. Now here in Colorado last year, Governor Polis signed a bill enacting statutory protection and declaring abortion access as a fundamental right.
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