Amazon, Rite Aid cap purchase of emergency contraceptives

Jun 29, 2022, 3:29 PM | Updated: Jun 30, 2022, 6:13 am

FILE - An Amazon logo appears on a delivery van, Oct. 1, 2020, in Boston. Amazon is limiting how ma...

FILE - An Amazon logo appears on a delivery van, Oct. 1, 2020, in Boston. Amazon is limiting how many emergency contraceptives consumers can buy, joining other retailers who put in place similar caps following the Supreme Court decision overruling Roe v. Wade. Amazon's limit, which temporarily caps purchase of the contraceptives at three units per week, went into effect on Monday, June 27, 2022, a spokesperson for the e-commerce giant confirmed to the Associated Press. (AP Photo/Steven Senne, File)

(AP Photo/Steven Senne, File)

NEW YORK (AP) — Amazon is limiting how many emergency contraceptives consumers can buy, joining other retailers who put in place similar caps following the Supreme Court decision overruling Roe v. Wade.

Amazon’s limit, which temporarily caps purchase of the contraceptives at three units per week, went into effect on Monday, a spokesperson for the e-commerce giant confirmed to The Associated Press. The company did not share further details on what emergency contraceptive products were limited for purchase, but a listing showed the cap applied to Plan B, the popular “morning after” pill.

A similar policy went into effect Monday at the drugstore chain Rite Aid, which has limited the purchase of Plan B pills to three units per customer due to increased demand, a company spokesperson said. The limit applies to both in-store and online purchases.

Emergency contraception is different from abortion pills used to end a pregnancy. Plan B, which can be obtained without a prescription, contains a concentrated dose of the same drug found in many regular birth control pills. If a woman takes Plan B within 72 hours of unprotected sex, she can lower the risk of pregnancy significantly.

Emergency contraception has been attacked by some abortion foes who believe life begins when an egg is fertilized. The federally approved label says it may prevent a fertilized egg from attaching to the womb. But researchers with the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists have said its unlikely to have that effect.

A large Missouri hospital chain briefly stopped providing Plan B due to confusion over whether the state’s abortion ban could put doctors at risk of criminal charges for providing it. St. Luke’s Health Kansas City said Wednesday, however, that it would resume offering the medication.

Retailers limiting purchases is standard practice that helps retailers prevent stockpiling and reselling at higher prices.

“Retailers are being cautious. They are trying to manage it,” said Neil Saunders, managing director at GlobalData Retail. “But I don’t think there are chronic shortages.”

Walmart, Amazon’s top competitor, has capped online purchases of Plan B to 10 units, though it’s unclear when the purchase limit began. The retailer doesn’t have in-store limits at this time, but managers may make changes to help ensure availability based on the demand.

“Many of our products have online purchase limits in place,” a Walmart spokesperson said. “During times of fluctuating demand, these limits may change.”

Meanwhile, CVS Health said it removed its own caps on emergency contraceptives after it installed a temporary limit following Friday’s high court ruling. The company said it had been seeking to preserve access to the products following a “sharp increase” in sales, which have since returned to normal levels.

“We continue to have ample supply of emergency contraceptives to meet customer needs,” CVS Health spokesman Matthew Blanchette said.

The pharmacy chain Walgreens is still able to meet demand for in-store purchases and curbside pickup of over-the-counter emergency contraception pills. But spokeswoman Emily Mekstan said the company is restocking its ship-to-home business, which saw a jump in demand. CVS Health and Walgreens are the two biggest U.S. drugstore chains. They run around 19,000 locations combined.

Spokespeople for Target and Kroger said they didn’t have anything to share on potential limits on contraceptive purchases.

______

AP staff writers Anne D’Innocenzio in New York and Tom Murphy in Indianapolis contributed to this report.

Copyright © The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


              FILE - A Rite Aid logo is displayed on its store in Pittsburgh, on Jan. 12, 2022. Rite Aid is limiting how many emergency contraceptives consumers can buy, joining other retailers who put in place similar caps following the Supreme Court decision overruling Roe v. Wade. The policy went into effect Monday, June 27, at the drugstore chain, which has limited the purchase of Plan B pills to three units per customer due to increased demand, a company spokesperson said. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar, File)
            
              FILE - An Amazon logo appears on a delivery van, Oct. 1, 2020, in Boston. Amazon is limiting how many emergency contraceptives consumers can buy, joining other retailers who put in place similar caps following the Supreme Court decision overruling Roe v. Wade. Amazon's limit, which temporarily caps purchase of the contraceptives at three units per week, went into effect on Monday, June 27, 2022, a spokesperson for the e-commerce giant confirmed to the Associated Press. (AP Photo/Steven Senne, File)

AP

FILE - Gabby Petito's mother Nichole Schmidt, wipes a tear from her face during a news conference o...

Associated Press

Mother of man who killed Gabby Petito said in letter she would help son ‘dispose of a body’

The mother of the man who killed Gabby Petito told her son in an undated letter that she would “dispose of a body” if needed because she loved him so much, according to copies of the note shared publicly for the first time this week by attorneys for Petito's parents.

2 days ago

A member of the 3rd U.S. Infantry Regiment, also known as The Old Guard, places flags in front of e...

Associated Press

5 things to know about Memorial Day including its controversies

Memorial Day is supposed to be about mourning the nation’s fallen service members, but it’s come to anchor the unofficial start of summer and a long weekend of discounts on anything from mattresses to lawn mowers.

2 days ago

FILE - This artist sketch depicts the trial of Oath Keepers leader Stewart Rhodes, left, as he test...

Associated Press

Officers describe chaos, fear on Jan. 6 as judge weighs prison time for Oath Keepers’ Rhodes

Police officers who defended the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, and public servants who fled the mob's attack told a judge on Wednesday that they are still haunted by what they endured, as the judge prepares to hand down sentences in a landmark Capitol riot case.

3 days ago

Pride month merchandise is displayed at the front of a Target store in Hackensack, N.J., Wednesday,...

Associated Press

Target on the defensive after removing LGBTQ+-themed products

Target once distinguished itself as being boldly supportive of the LGBTQ+ community.

4 days ago

(Photo By Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call via Getty Images)...

Associated Press

Former Arizona television journalist announces bid for Schweikert’s US House seat

A former Phoenix television journalist announced her candidacy Wednesday for the congressional seat currently held by seven-term Republican Rep. David Schweikert.

4 days ago

Tortoise by Henry Davis earned an honorable mention in the "Adventures in Nature” student photo c...

Associated Press

When you adopt a desert tortoise, prepare for a surprisingly social and zippy pet

They’re not fluffy, they don’t play fetch and they certainly don’t roll over. But there is such a thing as a lap tortoise.

5 days ago

Sponsored Articles

...

SANDERSON FORD

Thank you to Al McCoy for 51 years as voice of the Phoenix Suns

Sanderson Ford wants to share its thanks to Al McCoy for the impact he made in the Valley for more than a half-decade.

(Photo by Michael Matthey/picture alliance via Getty Images)...

Cox Communications

Valley Boys & Girls Club uses esports to help kids make healthy choices

KTAR’s Community Spotlight focuses on the Boys & Girls Club of the Valley and the work to incorporate esports into children's lives.

...

Day & Night Air Conditioning, Heating and Plumbing

Company looking for oldest air conditioner and wants to reward homeowner with new one

Does your air conditioner make weird noises or a burning smell when it starts? If so, you may be due for an AC unit replacement.

Amazon, Rite Aid cap purchase of emergency contraceptives