Tammy Duckworth is asking the FTC to investigate a pharmaceutical wholesaler over its abortion pill plans.
Duckworth’s letter is part of a growing chorus of Democratic senators fighting for more widespread access to abortion pills at pharmacies.
Source: Politico
What's happening: Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.) is asking the Federal Trade Commission to investigate reports that the pharmaceutical wholesaler AmerisourceBergen will not be distributing abortion pills in more than two dozen states.
The move comes after POLITICO reported that the company — the sole U.S. supplier of the abortion pill mifeprex — told senators they would not supply pharmacies with the drug in 29 states, including some, like Nevada, where abortion and the medication are legally protected.
In a letter to FTC Chair Lina Kahn, first shared with POLITICO, Duckworth claims AmerisourceBergen “may be using broader political disagreements and active legal debates as pretextual cover and justification for engaging in anticompetitive, unfair and deceptive practices that are primarily concerned with maximizing profit margins.”
AmerisourceBergen told POLITICO that the legal landscape for abortion pills is “dynamic and rapidly evolving” and that they are dedicated to “maintaining access to medications where legally permissible.”
Joining the fight: Duckworth’s letter is part of a growing chorus of Democratic senators fighting for more widespread access to abortion pills at pharmacies, which the Biden administration moved to allow this January. Other senators have gone after Walgreens — which POLITICO scooped will not distribute the pills in 21 states where GOP attorneys general have threatened to sue them — and other chains like CVS and RiteAid, which have remained silent about their plans.
But because AmerisourceBergen supplies all pharmacies, Duckworth says she fears their decision will “threaten to restrict consumer choice, lessen competition and increase costs for patients” and she’s pushing the FTC to step in.
By: Alice Miranda Ollstein
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