Amazon has limited sales of emergency contraceptive pills as demand spikes after the U.S. Supreme Court ruling overturned Roe v. Wade and ended the constitutional right to have an abortion.
Amazon has placed a temporary quantity limit of three units per week on emergency contraceptive pills, according to a statement by the company to CNBC.
A review of emergency contraceptive pills sold on Amazon showed varying quantity limits. A listing of Plan B, a popular brand of the drug Levonorgestrel, shows that purchases were capped at three products per shopper. One listing for a generic version of the drug, My Choice, allowed users to purchase up to 30 units.
Amazon has placed limits on purchases of the pills. CVS is temporarily capping purchases of Plan B pills. Demand has returned to normal levels since the company removed those restrictions.
Walmart said that many of the chain s products have online purchase limits that can change during times of fluctuating demand. Walgreens said emergency contraceptive pills were not limited.
Emergency contraceptive pills, commonly referred to as morning after pills and sold under the Plan B brand, can be purchased over-the-counter and without an ID or prescription.
They typically work by stopping the release of an egg from the ovaries, preventing a sperm from fertilizing an egg, or if fertilization has already occurred, stopping a fertilized egg from attaching to the womb. They are designed to be taken up to three days after unprotected sex.
Morning-after-contraception pills are different from abortion pills, which require a prescription and can be used in the first 10 weeks of pregnancy to terminate it.
The 1973 Roe v. Wade ruling that established the constitutional right to abortion in the U.S. was overturned by the Supreme Court on Friday. Numerous states have imposed partial or full bans on the procedure.
Many people have urged others to stock up on Plan B in anticipation of possible restrictions on contraceptive pills. Many people said potential shortages could affect those most in need, and they urged people to fund organizations that distribute the pills to keep it available.