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nylisa
My Children
Member since 5/05 7905 total posts
Name:
MaMa
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NY CVS, Rite Aid Pharmacies Selling Old Meds
142 CVS & 112 Rite Aid Pharmacies Shelving Expired Food, Medicine, Baby Formula
ALBANY (CBS/AP) ? Two statewide drug store chains have been selling expired food, medicine and baby formula, New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo said Thursday.
Cuomo said the items were found at 142 CVS and 112 Rite Aid Pharmacies in New York. Many stores sold milk and eggs that had expired, and some sold medications that were more than a year past their expiration dates.
"When the products pass their expiration dates, they become ineffective and potentially unsafe, threatening to put our loved ones at risk," Cuomo said.
Leaving expired food and medicine on the shelves breaks multiple state and federal laws, he said.
Among the findings, investigators discovered a Rite Aid in the Bronx with a carton of milk that was two weeks past expiration and a CVS in Dutchess County had cough medicine that should have been taken off the shelf more than a year ago.
"Consumers have every right to expect that the products on the shelves of their local drugstore, whether independent or large chain, meet the high standards set by the Food and Drug Administration and other oversight authorities," said Arthur Levin, executive director of the Center for Medical Consumers. "Drug products have expiration dates for good reason. A drug's effectiveness can diminish over time as chemicals loose their potency."
Investigators for the Attorney General's office were able to buy more than 600 expired products around the state and notified both companies.
"We take the allegations in the New York attorney general's letter very seriously," Rite Aid spokeswoman Cheryl Slavinsky said. "Our policies have always been not to have outdated products on our shelves. As soon as we received it, all stores mentioned ... were told to make sure that there is no such product on the shelves now. We are also checking products in all stores nationwide and are retraining our stores on our policies and procedures."
Investigators found that 60 percent of the CVS stores and 43 percent of the Rite Aid stores they visited had expired merchandise.
The investigation began in March and while other companies were checked, "CVS and Rite Aid were the worst," Cuomo said.
He declined to reveal the other stores investigated, but advised consumers to check the expiration dates on products no matter where they buy them.
Cuomo says his office is preparing civil lawsuits against the chains.
A call to CVS was not immediately returned.
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Posted 6/12/08 2:45 PM  |
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JenMarie
One day at a time
Member since 11/07 7397 total posts
Name:
Jennifer
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Re: NY CVS, Rite Aid Pharmacies Selling Old Meds
I'm not surprised. I once bought a bottle of ibuprofen from CVS that was expired. They immediately exchanged it and checked the shelf for others. I always check the date on stuff now.
But supposedly, a friend of mine who used to be a pharma rep, said most meds don't "expire" so the date means nothing. Not sure how true that is.
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| Posted 6/12/08 3:30 PM |
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wannabemom
look who's freshly baked!
Member since 12/07 7364 total posts
Name:
aka marriedinportjeff
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Re: NY CVS, Rite Aid Pharmacies Selling Old Meds
Posted by Jennifer907
I'm not surprised. I once bought a bottle of ibuprofen from CVS that was expired. They immediately exchanged it and checked the shelf for others. I always check the date on stuff now.
But supposedly, a friend of mine who used to be a pharma rep, said most meds don't "expire" so the date means nothing. Not sure how true that is.
eh, that's semi-true. the expiration date represents that latest time point that the company tested the medication and it was not yet significantly degraded... frequently, if they tested later on, it would still be fine, but you don't know for sure.
at least with most OTC meds, when they degrade, they're not toxic.... but with prescription meds, that's a different story.... that could be super  very concerning, since they seldom supply the pills in the original packaging,.
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| Posted 6/12/08 4:37 PM |
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kerrycec03
Mom of 2 beautiful boys!!
Member since 6/06 13519 total posts
Name:
Kerry
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Re: NY CVS, Rite Aid Pharmacies Selling Old Meds
hmm, I'm not surprised. I hate to say this, but who wouldn't check the expiration date while buying milk???
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| Posted 6/12/08 4:41 PM |
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skew
LIF Adult
Member since 5/05 6794 total posts
Name:
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Re: NY CVS, Rite Aid Pharmacies Selling Old Meds
Posted by kerrycec03
hmm, I'm not surprised. I hate to say this, but who wouldn't check the expiration date while buying milk???
always for dairy product but i have to admit, i have never checked the expiration of meds.
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| Posted 6/12/08 5:55 PM |
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jenheartsrob
LIF Adult
Member since 5/06 1861 total posts
Name:
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Re: NY CVS, Rite Aid Pharmacies Selling Old Meds
here's the list of stores and items they found that were expired
http://www.oag.state.ny.us/press/2008/june/CVSRiteAidData.pdf
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| Posted 6/12/08 6:06 PM |
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EmmaNick
*
Member since 12/06 16001 total posts
Name:
*
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Re: NY CVS, Rite Aid Pharmacies Selling Old Meds
I'm always finding expired baby food at Rite Aid.
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| Posted 6/12/08 8:23 PM |
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Tabitha
Member since 2/07 2029 total posts
Name:
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Re: NY CVS, Rite Aid Pharmacies Selling Old Meds
wow!!! thank you for posting.. i rarely check the exp date on the meds.
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| Posted 6/12/08 8:28 PM |
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nylisa
My Children
Member since 5/05 7905 total posts
Name:
MaMa
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Re: NY CVS, Rite Aid Pharmacies Selling Old Meds
Posted by Tabitha
wow!!! thank you for posting.. i rarely check the exp date on the meds.
Either do I.
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| Posted 6/13/08 8:30 AM |
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nov04libride
big brother <3
Member since 5/05 14672 total posts
Name:
Me
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Re: NY CVS, Rite Aid Pharmacies Selling Old Meds
Posted by skew
Posted by kerrycec03
hmm, I'm not surprised. I hate to say this, but who wouldn't check the expiration date while buying milk???
always for dairy product but i have to admit, i have never checked the expiration of meds.
I always check, but I feel worst for people like my grandma who can't see well enough to check. She puts faith in the stores that she can buy something without being able to see that tiny print that you have to search for, and feel confident that she is getting a product that it not expired. It makes me very sad for the old people. 
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| Posted 6/13/08 8:39 AM |
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Kara
Now Zagat Rated!
Member since 3/07 13217 total posts
Name:
They call me "Tater Salad"
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Re: NY CVS, Rite Aid Pharmacies Selling Old Meds
Posted by skew
Posted by kerrycec03
hmm, I'm not surprised. I hate to say this, but who wouldn't check the expiration date while buying milk???
always for dairy product but i have to admit, i have never checked the expiration of meds.
Except are there expriation dates on prescription medication bottles? Most prescription meds don't come in their original packaging - pills, for example, are often counted out and put into the pharmacy's bottle to be dispensed. Do they put expiration dates on those bottles?
I haven't been on a script in a while, so I can't remember...
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| Posted 6/13/08 8:57 AM |
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BlueDiamonds
mommy to 3 boys
Member since 2/07 3885 total posts
Name:
proud mommy
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Re: NY CVS, Rite Aid Pharmacies Selling Old Meds
This is why i ALWAYS check expiration dates. I have found expired food at Stop n Shop as well. Never found anything expired at CVS, yet!
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| Posted 6/13/08 9:32 AM |
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Blazesyth
*yawn*
Member since 5/05 8129 total posts
Name:
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Re: NY CVS, Rite Aid Pharmacies Selling Old Meds
Posted by Kara
Except are there expriation dates on prescription medication bottles? Most prescription meds don't come in their original packaging - pills, for example, are often counted out and put into the pharmacy's bottle to be dispensed. Do they put expiration dates on those bottles?
I haven't been on a script in a while, so I can't remember...
They do put expiration dates on the smaller bottle that they dispense into. But I bet they don't follow thru and put the date that is on the big bottle on the dispensed bottle. They probably put a specified date X amount of days after the script was given to you - not when the pills really expire.
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| Posted 6/13/08 9:36 AM |
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nov04libride
big brother <3
Member since 5/05 14672 total posts
Name:
Me
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Re: NY CVS, Rite Aid Pharmacies Selling Old Meds
Posted by Blazesyth
Posted by Kara
Except are there expriation dates on prescription medication bottles? Most prescription meds don't come in their original packaging - pills, for example, are often counted out and put into the pharmacy's bottle to be dispensed. Do they put expiration dates on those bottles?
I haven't been on a script in a while, so I can't remember...
They do put expiration dates on the smaller bottle that they dispense into. But I bet they don't follow thru and put the date that is on the big bottle on the dispensed bottle. They probably put a specified date X amount of days after the script was given to you - not when the pills really expire.
Yup, usually the bottle expiration date is a year from the date dispensed. Who knows what it is from the date from the original package date.
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| Posted 6/13/08 9:37 AM |
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