Drugstore chains are limiting purchases on emergency contraception pills due to a spike in demand that has followed the Supreme Court’s overturning of Roe v. Wade, the 1973 decision that legalized abortion nationwide.
Representatives from Rite Aid and CVS told CNN that they have capped the number of purchases on the “morning after” pills to three per customer.
In a press statement released Tuesday, however, CVS said that it was already in the process of lifting that temporary limit.
“Immediately following the Supreme Court decision, we saw a sharp increase in the sale of emergency contraceptives and implemented a temporary purchase limit to ensure equitable access,” read the CVS statement.
“Sales have since returned to normal and we’re in the process of removing the purchase limits, which will take effect in-store and on CVS.com over the next 24 hours. We continue to have ample supply of emergency contraceptives to meet customer needs.”
The Wall Street Journal reported that Walmart and Walgreens had both limited the number of pills customers could buy as well.
For purchases to be delivered this week, Walmart is limiting customers to four to six pill orders. However, there aren’t any limits on pill orders that would be shipped next month.
Walgreens told the outlet that the restriction on its website was an error and has since been fixed.
The pills are an over-the-counter drug meant to be taken one to three days after unprotected sex in order to prevent ovulation.
Correction: An earlier version of this story incorrectly summarized how the pills work.
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