Costco Wholesale Corp. said on 14 August it will not dispense the abortion pill mifepristone at any of its more than 500 U.S. pharmacy counters, ending months of deliberation over whether to stock the medication. The retailer attributed its stance to “lack of demand from our members and other patients, who generally have the drug dispensed by their medical providers,” according to a company statement. The decision maintains Costco’s long-standing practice of not pursuing the certification required by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to supply the drug. Costco’s move follows sustained pressure from a coalition of faith-based investors and activists, including Inspire Investing and Alliance Defending Freedom, which argued that selling the pill conflicted with the company’s family-oriented image. Buoyed by the outcome, the group said it will now focus on persuading CVS Health Corp. and Walgreens Boots Alliance Inc. to reconsider their own distribution of mifepristone in states where abortion remains legal. Mifepristone, approved by U.S. regulators in 2000 for use with misoprostol to terminate pregnancy through 10 weeks, accounts for a majority of abortions nationwide. A unanimous U.S. Supreme Court ruling earlier this year allowed pharmacies that meet FDA requirements to continue dispensing the drug, leaving corporate retailers to navigate competing political, legal and consumer pressures.