CVS Pharmacy suspends sales of Zantac, store-brand ranitidine

CVS Pharmacy on Monday suspended selling Zantac and its CVS Health brand ranitidine products until further notice. The move followed a recent product alert from the Food and Drug Administration that ranitidine products might contain a low level of nitrosodimethylamine, or NDMA, a probable human carcinogen. 

CVS Health said the FDA is continuing to evaluate whether the NMDA levels in the products pose a potential risk to patients, and noted that so far, the FDA has found NMDA levels in ranitidine barely exceeds that in common foods. 

The retailer also noted that the move was out of an abundance of caution and that, while neither Zantac nor CVS Health brand ranitidine products had been recalled, nor has the FDA advised patients to stop taking it. However, customers who purchased the products can return them to CVS Pharmacy for a refund. 

The company said it will continue to sell such heartburn relief products as Pepcid, Tagamet and generic equivalents of both, famotidine and cimetidine. CVS Health said consumers seeking alternate therapy should consult with their healthcare provider or a CVS pharmacist.