(Bloomberg) -- CVS Health Corp. and Walgreens Boots Alliance Inc. plan to start selling the abortion pill mifepristone to patients with a prescription in certain states.

CVS said in a statement Friday that the drug will be available in Massachusetts and Rhode Island “in the weeks ahead.” The company will then expand to additional states where allowed by law. Walgreens said it’s beginning to dispense mifepristone in a “phased rollout” starting in select locations in New York, California, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts and Illinois.

President Joe Biden described the move as an important milestone in ensuring access to mifepristone, and encouraged other pharmacies to seek certification to distribute the medication. 

“With major retail pharmacy chains newly certified to dispense medication abortion, many women will soon have the option to pick up their prescription at a local, certified pharmacy — just as they would for any other medication,” Biden said in a statement.

The New York Times reported the news earlier Friday.

(Updates with statement from President Biden in third and fourth paragraphs.)

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