CVS Settles Lawsuit After Firing Nurse Practitioner for Refusing to Dispense Abortion Drugs

Gudrun Kristofersdottir, who was a nurse practitioner at a CVS MinuteClinic in Florida, filed a lawsuit in federal court in 2023 against CVS after the company fired her for requesting a religious accommodation from prescribing drugs that could induce abortions.

Represented by First Liberty Institute, Kristofersdottir said that CVS violated the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and state law. She worked under a religious accommodation for years. Then CVS revoked all employee religious accommodations.

First Liberty said it was rare that women asked for drugs that induce abortions. When they did, Kristofersdottir referred them to another CVS MinuteClinic to dispense the drugs.

Stephanie Taub, senior counsel for First Liberty, said that CVS fired Kristofersdottir “because it simply did not like her religious beliefs.” She added that it is “illegal to issue a blanket revocation of all religious accommodations when CVS can accommodate its employees. CVS is sending a message that religious health care workers are not welcome and need not apply.”

First Liberty announced that Kristofersdottir and CVS have settled the lawsuit. Information about whether she will get her job back or receive monetary compensation hasn’t been made public.

Photo credit: ajay_suresh (Creative Commons) – Some rights reserved

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