A coalition of religious groups, treasurers from Ohio, Texas, Nevada and Utah had contacted the retailer last year requesting it not carry the drug.

For more than a year, Costco deliberated over whether to become certified to dispense mifepristone, the drug used first in the typical two-step regimen for a medication abortion.

Costco Wholesale has decided not to dispense the abortion pill mifepristone at its more than 500 pharmacy locations, Bloomberg News reported on Thursday. The decision follows a group of faith-based activists urging the retailer to avoid selling the drug,