“Do you think protests will impact decisions of national pharmacy chains?” I’ve heard this question many times. Favorable initiatives other than those at the sidewalks of CVS and Walgreens have strengthened my “yes” to the question.

The battle over pharmacy-provided abortions has two fronts. The most direct is opposition to CVS and Walgreens, which launched abortions by prescription in March of 2024. The trial states are California, Illinois, New York, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island. A less apparent battlefront involves pharmacy chains that remain on the sidelines, such as Walmart, Costco, and Kroger.  Keeping them on the sidelines provides pharmacy options for customers.

A series of five events point to a positive turn for pro-life

In June of 2023, 50 Democrats in the House of Representatives called on additional pharmacy chains to commit to filling chemical abortion prescriptions. The corporations specifically named were Walmart, Costco, Kroger, Safeway, and Health Mart. Not a single company responded to the pressure to join CVS and Walgreens.

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A year later, on July 17, 2024, Brad Lander, Comptroller for New York City, picked up his baseball bat and threatened pharmacy chains doing business in New York to commit to distributing chemical abortion drugs. The Comptroller manages billions of investments for NYC pension funds. No corporation buckled or commented.

Life defenders struck back in response to the NYC pressure tactic. During the first week of August, a coalition of investment firms, financial advisors, and thousands of Costco members sent thousands of warning letters to management at Walmart, Costco, Kroger, and others. The message was, “Stay away from chemical abortion or face significant disinvestment and customer backlash.”

Also, in the first week of August, the 7,500-member American Association of Pro-Life OBGYNs (AAPLOG) launched a multifaceted education program on “abortion pill reversal.”  The education target, funded with a $100 grant from the Heritage Foundation, is medical professionals. This initiative doesn’t directly engage pharmacies. However, anything that educates about chemical abortion is a plus for our cause.

Finally, business news for both CVS and Walgreens in August was dire. The bad news included poor sales, declining profits, and plunging stock market values over recent months and years. Each company has approximately 9,000 stores. Walgreens will close 2,500 stores by 2027. CVS will close 900 stores.

Drawing on my decades as an economics professor at Baylor University, the last thing CVS and Walgreens need is to go deeper with their bad business decision of last March. Their corporate management may be experiencing a “Bud Light” regret. They may decide that joining the abortion industry in six states is enough.  And, Walmart and others will be better off focusing on selling groceries, clothing, and pharmaceuticals that improve health rather than cause death.

So, my fellow foot soldiers engaged at pharmacy sidewalks, let’s intensify our effort to shine the light on CVS and Walgreens as we indirectly send messages to Walmart and Costco.

AN OFFER TO YOU: Pro-Life Waco will send an outreach kit of signs and flyers to individuals and groups in all 50 states. The expectation is these will be used (as participation allows) in at least four outreach events at CVS or Walgreens pharmacies. You will receive nine corrugated plastic signs with five messages and 100 chemical abortion flyers.  The signs can be held or set out as yard signs. Contact John Pisciotta at 254-644-0407 or [email protected]

LifeNews Note: John Pisciotta is the director of Pro-Life Waco.