Stores Pull Zantac From Their Shelves

You may have heard about the recent recall of the popular heartburn medication, Zantac. Zantac was first pulled from pharmacy shelves on September 26th, 2019 due to an unexpected finding from the online analytical pharmacy, Valisure.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced the recall after verifying Valisure’s claims that Zantac’s active ingredient, ranitidine, contains unsafe levels of the cancer-causing impurity, N-Nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA).

NDMA is classified as a “probable carcinogen” by the FDA. The impurity may not cause detrimental harm in small doses, but it has been known to cause cancer when allowed to accumulate within the body.

Which Pharmacies Have Been Affected?

The three pharmacies that have agreed to remove the drug from their shelves are as follows:

• Walgreens Boots Alliance Inc.
• Rite Aid Corp.
• CVS Health Corp.

All three of these pharmacies have taken the recall a step further. Instead of simply removing Zantac, they’ve also removed all generic brands containing ranitidine from their shelves.

What Is The FDA’s Recommendation?

According to the FDA, “Patients taking prescription ranitidine who wish to stop should talk to their health care professional about other treatment options. Multiple drugs are approved for the same or similar uses as ranitidine.”

Should You Be Worried About Your Health?

If you take over-the-counter Zantac once in a while for heartburn, you probably have nothing to worry about. However, if you have been taking the drug regularly for a significant period of time, you may want to have yourself checked out.

Naturally, prescription versions of Zantac contain higher quantities of the impurity, which means you are at a greater risk of accumulating the cancer-causing chemical if you take the stronger doses.

What Can You Do About It?

If you have been taking the brand form of Zantac for at least one year, you may be entitled to receive compensation. Our attorneys at Goodman Acker have extensive experience in product liability law and are no strangers to taking on massive conglomerates. Don’t wait to contact our firm with your case. After all, it is your health on the line.

Call Goodman Acker today at (248) 793-2010 if you’ve been regularly taking Zantac for heartburn relief.