Pharmacies lift purchase limits on emergency contraception following Supreme Court abortion ruling

Big box retailers and pharmacies are lifting restrictions on the amount of emergency contraception consumers could purchase after experiencing a spike in demand following the Supreme Court’s decision to end a constitutional right to abortion. Consumers rushed to stock up on emergency contraception when the high court struck down the landmark Roe v. Wade decision on Friday. Also known as the morning after pill, emergency contraception, is a single pill taken within three days of unprotected sex to prevent a pregnancy, and is not considered abortion. To prevent shortages some retailers began putting limits on how many people could buy, but now they say the limits are no longer necessary. CVS was one of the retailers that limited purchases of emergency contraception to three per customer in the days after the ruling. It lifted the limit on Tuesday.

“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,” Matt Blanchette, a CVS spokesperson said in a statement. “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.” Walgreens’s website showed Tuesday that two emergency contraceptives — Plan B and Take Action — were out of stock for shipping, but could be ready for pick up and same-day delivery in certain locations, according to news reports. A Walgreens spokesperson said Wednesday that the supply was “ample.” “We continue to have ample supply to meet customer demand for Plan B,” said Karen May, a Walgreens spokesperson. “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.” There are currently no limits in-store at Walmart, but store managers may make decisions based on demand to help ensure availability, a spokesperson said. Kroger has the contraceptives available for pick up, delivery and in stores, according to its website. The grocery and pharmacy chain did not immediately respond to comment.