Zantac recall continues as FDA investigates

Описание: (4 Oct 2019) FOR CLEAN VERSION SEE STORY NUMBER: apus124639

Walmart has become the latest store to halt sales of the popular heartburn treatment Zantac after health regulators warned about a potentially dangerous contaminant in the drug.
The nation's largest retailer said it suspended sales of all drugs sold over the counter, or without a prescription, that include Zantac's active ingredient, ranitidine. Aside from Zantac, that includes Equate and Member's Mark brands.
Dr. Andres Sanchez with Atrium Health in Charlotte, NC, says users should be cautious while the FDA conducts a full investigation.
"This is something that is currently being studied. The recommendation just to be sure is and be precautious would be to stop the medication at this point and time there are plenty of other over the counter antacids that serve the same function," he said.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration said last month it detected low levels of a probable cancer-causing chemical in Zantac and related generic drugs to treat ulcers and reflux disease. The same chemical has been linked to dozens of recalls of prescription blood pressure drugs in the past year.
"It would not surprise within the upcoming weeks to months we see even more medications being flagged because it seems like its a manufacturing issue. And even with the ways these medications are tested, false positives may occur so we really need a standardized way of measuring," Dr. Sanchez said.
The drugstore chains CVS Health, Walgreens and Rite Aid have already pulled Zantac products from their shelves.

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