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Multiple retailers pull Zantac from shelves amid carcinogen concerns

We wrote a couple of weeks ago about Valisure’s findings regarding the carcinogen Nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA) being found in Zantac and its generic forms. At the time, consumer advocacy groups were much more concerned with the report of a possibility of a carcinogen being found in a very common heartburn medication. As we await action from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, numerous retailers are taking the concerns a bit more seriously.

Walgreens, CVS, and Rite Aid are no longer selling Zantac aka ranitidine out of “an abundance of caution”. Walgreens spokesperson Phil Caruso told NBC News regarding the sale of Zantac that they are “removing Zantac and ranitidine products from our shelves while the FDA continues its review of the products…” Walgreens and Rite Aid have released similar statements regarding their decisions to pull the drug from their shelves.

For their part, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has not recalled Zantac or other ranitidine medications. While the FDA isn’t telling individuals to stop taking the drugs, they do suggest, “patients taking prescription ranitidine who wish to discontinue use should talk to their health care professional about other treatment options…” The FDA still contends that the levels of NDMA in Zantac and other medications “barely exceed amounts you might expect to find in common foods.”

As we learn more about the possible carcinogen contamination of some very common heartburn medications, we can only hope the U.S. Food and Drug Administration stays on top of this story, even if it’s “out of an abundance of caution.”

To read the full report from Yahoo, click here: https://yhoo.it/2pntqym