NEW YORK (AP) – Amazon limits how much emergency contraception can consumers buy by joining other retailers who have introduced similar ceilings following a Supreme Court ruling overturning Roe v. Wade.
Amazon’s restriction, which temporarily limits the purchase of contraceptives to three units a week, went into effect on Monday, a spokesman for the e-commerce giant told the Associated Press. The company did not share further details about what emergency contraceptives are restricted to purchase, but the list included the restriction attached to Plan B, the popular “morning after” pill.
A similar policy went into effect Monday at drugstore chain Rite Aid, which limited the purchase of Plan B pills to three per customer due to increased demand, a company spokesman said. The restriction applies to both in-store and online purchases.
Emergency contraception is different from the abortion pills used to terminate a pregnancy. Plan B, which can be obtained without a prescription, contains a concentrated dose of the same medicine that is found in many common birth control pills. If a woman takes Plan B within 72 hours of unprotected sex, she can significantly reduce the risk of pregnancy.
Emergency contraception has been attacked by some opponents of abortion, who believe that life begins when the egg is fertilized. The federally approved label says it can prevent a fertilized egg from attaching to the womb. But researchers at the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists say such an effect is unlikely.
A large hospital chain in Missouri has briefly stopped providing Plan B due to confusion over whether the state ban on abortion could put doctors at risk of criminal charges for providing it. St. Luke’s Health Service Kansas City said Wednesday it would resume offering the drug.
Restricting purchases by retailers is a standard practice that helps retailers prevent stockpiling and resale at higher prices.
“Retailers are cautious. They are trying to manage it, “said Neil Saunders, managing director of GlobalData Retail. “But I don’t think there’s a chronic shortage.”
Walmart, Amazon’s biggest competitor, has limited Plan B’s online purchases to 10, although it’s unclear when the purchase limit began. The retailer currently has no in-store restrictions, but managers can make changes to ensure availability based on demand.
“Many of our products have restrictions on online shopping,” said a Walmart spokesman. “During a variable search, these limits can change.”
CVS Health, meanwhile, said it had removed its own emergency contraceptive caps after setting a temporary restriction following a Supreme Court ruling Friday. The company said it sought to maintain access to the products after a “sharp increase” in sales, which has since returned to normal levels.
“We continue to have enough emergency contraceptives to meet customer needs,” said CVS Health spokesman Matthew Blanchett.
The Walgreens pharmacy chain is still able to meet the demand for in-store purchases and taking over-the-counter emergency contraceptive pills. But spokeswoman Emily Mextan said the company was recovering supplies from home delivery, a jump in demand. CVS Health and Walgreens are the two largest drugstore chains in the United States. They manage about 19,000 seats together.
Speakers at Target and Kroger said they had nothing to share about potential restrictions on contraceptive purchases.
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AP writers Anne D’Inocenzio of New York and Tom Murphy of Indianapolis contributed to this report.
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