The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has called on Dollar Tree and its related stores to stop selling products it deems “potentially unsafe.”
In a letter sent earlier this month to Greenbrier International Inc., the company that operates Dollar Tree and Family Dollar stores, the FDA claims the chain receives over-the-counter drugs made by foreign manufacturers that pose “serious violations” to federal laws.
Of the drugs described as being potentially adulterated are skincare and Assured Brand products.
The letter outlines that Dollar Tree still works with manufacturers that were placed on “import alerts” by the FDA for violations, even after the department informed it about the suppliers’ status.
The FDA urged the chain to stop selling the products, and to enact a system of preventing its stores from taking the drugs from unsafe suppliers.
“Failure to promptly correct the violations may result in legal action without further notice, including, without limitation, seizure and injunction,” the letter reads.
“Protecting patient health and safety is our highest priority, and the FDA continues to investigate and take action against companies that place U.S. patients at risk,” Donald D. Ashley, director of the office of compliance in the FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, said in a press release.
He continued: “Americans expect and deserve drugs that are safe, effective and that meet our standards for quality. The importation and distribution of drugs and other products from manufacturers that violate federal law is unacceptable.”
Dollar Tree responded to the FDA memo, saying it is “committed” to righting the situation and complying with regulations.
“We are committed to our customers’ safety and have very robust and rigorous testing programs in place to ensure our third-party manufacturers’ products are safe,” Randy Guiler, vice president of investor relations at Dollar Tree, told PEOPLE in a statement.
The company statement continued: “Each of the items referenced in the report are topical, and not ingestible, products. As always, we are cooperating with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). We plan to meet with the FDA in the near future and expect that our plans will satisfy their requirements in all regards.”
Customers who used the questionable drugs can report any negative side effects to the FDA online.
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