A new analysis has revealed the dangers of buying own-brand CVS medications.
FDA data shows that America’s largest pharmacy chain has recalled 133 over-the-counter medications over the past decade, or about one per month.
That was more than twice as many as competitor Walgreens, which had 70 recalls in the same period, and three times as many as Walmart, which had 51 recalls.
The reasons for CVS’s recalls included medications contaminated with bacteria, mold growth in factory fans, peeling paint and barefoot workers in factories and pills containing incorrect doses.
Own-brand eye drops were the CVS products most likely to be recalled over the past decade, followed by own-brand constipation medications – such as magnesium citrate tablets – and drugs to treat colds and flu.
An analysis of recalls found that CVS has recorded 133 recalls over the past decade, at least twice as many as its two biggest rivals
Above is the factory of Kilitch Healthcare India Limited, which made eye drops sold in stores including CVS, where they also carried the company’s label
Recalled products were manufactured by companies in China and India, as well as some in the US, including Tennessee and Florida.
CVS has seen recalls increase in recent years, with fewer than 10 per year from 2014 to 2018, but above this number four out of six years since then.
So far this year, the chain has recorded 11 recalls – mainly for eye drops, cough medicines and drugs to treat constipation.
Experts have been warning about generic medicines for some time now, because there are too few incentives for pharmacy chains to guarantee their quality.
This is due to a loophole in FDA rules that prevents CVS from being responsible for the quality of generic drugs manufactured by third-party factories, even if the products bear a red heart and the words “CVS Health.”
Dr. Kevin Schulman, a drug expert at Stanford University, told us Bloomberg: ‘The best way to make a product at a low price is to skimp on quality, and we see that time and time again.’
A CVS spokesperson said in a statement that the chain – which has more than 9,000 stores nationwide – prioritizes “good manufacturing and ethical purchasing practices.”
They added that CVS brands are “designed to maximize quality and safety, operate as intended, comply with regulations and delight customers.”
Above are two CVS brand products that have been recalled due to contamination. They are eye ointment made in India and constipation tablets made in Tennessee
CVS said all of its own brand medications are manufactured to a high standard
In one case from January this year, allergy medications made by an Indian company were recalled after FDA inspectors found stagnant liquid — growing yeast and mold — in an air purification unit at the drugmaker’s factory in India, reports show.
And in the blink of an eye, since last October, investigators arrived at a factory in India that made CVS eye drops, where they found peeling paint and barefoot workers. An FDA investigation also uncovered fabricated test results that made products from the factory appear safe.
In a third case from 2022, CVS recalled magnesium citrate tablets – used for constipation – after they were found to be contaminated with microbes. The tablets are made by the Tennessee-based company Vi-Jon.
In a fourth case from 2019 FDA inspectors found that a Florida factory that makes children’s cough syrup for CVS used water contaminated with a bacteria that can be fatal to young people with weakened immune systems.
Inspectors found that the company, called Unipharma LLC and now defunct, had ignored test results that revealed the bacteria.
The discovery led to the recall of all its over-the-counter products. including pain and fever medicine for kids with cherry flavor, kids allergy relief with mixed berry flavor and cough syrup for kids with pineapple flavor.
That same year, there was also a recall of CVS’s own brand ibuprofen tablets, after researchers discovered that the pills contained more of the painkiller than the label suggested.
CVS sells more than 2,000 store-brand health and wellness products in the U.S., with the private label market estimated to be worth $236 billion by 2023.
It comes after the US was rocked by a recall of more than 26 store-brand eye drops sold in pharmacies across the country, including Rite Aid and Walmart.
The droplets were contaminated with a bacteria linked to blindness and fatal infections that experts said could “melt” through the eyes.
At least four people died from sepsis after using the eye drops, while 14 people lost their sight and more than 80 infections were reported.