SCHUMER: ‘DOLLAR’ BARGAIN STORES—ACROSS NYC & LI—ARE STOCKING CHEAP, DANGEROUS CHINESE-MADE OVER-THE-COUNTER DRUGS THAT COULD MAKE YOU SICK, OR WORSE; SENATOR DEMANDS FED CRACKDOWN ON CHINA’S ABILITY TO SHIP THOSE DRUGS HERE IN THE FIRST PLACE & FOR BARGAIN STORES TO TOSS ANY QUESTIONABLE DRUGS IMMEDIATELY
More Than 150 Dollar-Type Bargain Stores Across NYC & Long Island Are Stocking Over-The-Counter Drug Products That FDA Said Could Be Dangerous; Now Feds Must Act
To Prevent More From Coming Into Country
Schumer Says Feds Need To Wage A Cooperative Crackdown On China’s Ability To Send Those Drugs—Like Topicals & Some Cosmetics—Here In The First Place
Schumer: Feds Mustn’t Pass The Buck & Allow ‘Dollar’ Stores To Get Bad OTC Drugs In The First Place
Standing at one of the more than one-hundred and fifty dollar-type bargain stores across our area, and amidst a new warning from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) about over-the-counter (OTC) drugs being received by a variety of dollar-type bargain stores doing business across New York City and Long Island, U.S. Senator Schumer demanded a federal crackdown on China’s ability to send these shoddy, and potentially dangerous OTC drugs here in the first place via Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and the FDA.
“The feds cannot pass the buck and allow ‘dollar’ type stores across our area to receive bad or even dangerous over-the-counter drugs in the first place, and the retailers in question need to toss any bad product right now,” said U.S. Senator Charles Schumer.
For years, it has been understood that a variety of Chinese-made products, particularly drugs, are manufactured in low-quality, unregulated, even dangerous conditions. Heeding these longstanding concerns, your agency has worked hard, alongside the FDA, to inspect and detect questionable shipments from China to prevent them from hitting store shelves. However, the recent warning issued by the FDA to Dollar Tree and other related subsidiaries heightens concerns and sheds new light on an unsolved problem with Chinese-made OTC drugs.
“Therefore, to prevent an influx of questionable and potentially unsafe OTC drugs from being stocked on New York bargain store shelves, I’ve asked CBP and the FDA to begin a targeted crackdown and answer new questions about the scope of the problem and the measures in place to prevent this from happening again with Dollar Tree or any other bargain store in New York and beyond,” Schumer added.
Schumer also demanded that New York City and Long Island bargain ‘dollar’ stores stocking or receiving any foreign drugs, especially from China, toss the product immediately and better inform their customers of what is going on. Schumer said there is no telling exactly which Dollar Tree or Family Dollar stores or any other subsidiaries are shelving the questionable drug products, so Schumer called out the more than 170 relevant storefronts across the city and Long Island.
According to dermatological experts, using tainted or unsafe OTC topicals can lead to minor and serious medical conditions from uncomfortable irritation and rashes, to even infection.
The number of Dollar Tree and Family Dollar stores throughout the five boroughs of NYC and on Long Island is detailed in the table below. There are 170 Dollar Tree and Family Dollar stores in total.
|
|
Dollar Tree |
Family Dollar |
|
Bronx |
4 |
14 |
|
Brooklyn |
4 |
24 |
|
Manhattan |
5 |
1 |
|
Queens |
23 |
13 |
|
Staten Island |
6 |
5 |
|
Nassau County |
20 |
4 |
|
Suffolk County |
31 |
16 |
|
Total |
93 |
77 |
Schumer said many of these bargain OTC drugs have long been known by the FDA to be manufactured in unsafe conditions and that no New York retailer—not a single one—should be stocking or receiving them to begin with.
Schumer demanded the feds—via the CBP and the FDA—wage a cooperative crackdown on China’s ability to ship shoddy OTC drugs, from topicals to cosmetics, to New York in the first place as he warns bargain store customers.
According to CNBC, as part of their new waring, “The FDA analyzed import data and found Dollar Tree bought and received products from foreign companies that had received warning letters and had been placed on import alert for manufacturing issues. The agency also alleges that Greenbrier, operating as Dollar Tree, has used contract manufacturers and suppliers with “significant” violations for its private-label Assured Brand drugs.”
Schumer’s letter to the CBP and the FDA appears below.
Dear Acting Commissioner Morgan:
I write to express serious concerns regarding reports of a possible influx of unsafe over-the-counter (OTC) drugs into the United States and the New York-area from China and other countries. As one of the lead federal agencies responsible for intercepting many questionable Chinese-made products, I ask that Customs and Border Patrol (CBP), in partnership with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), take immediate action to more aggressively inspect, detect, and prevent these questionable drugs from entering the U.S. in the first place.
For years, it has been understood that a variety of Chinese-made products, particularly drugs, are manufactured in low-quality, unregulated, even dangerous conditions. Heeding these longstanding concerns, your agency has worked hard, alongside the FDA, to inspect and detect questionable shipments from China to prevent them from hitting store shelves. However, the recent warning issued by the FDA to Dollar Tree and other related subsidiaries heightens concerns and sheds new light on an unsolved problem with Chinese-made OTC drugs.
Many New Yorkers have long found it convenient to shop at bargain stores for a less expensive OTC drug. Many consumers, however, remain largely in the dark about the potential dangers posed by these products. They should not have to worry about the safety of what they purchase at the register.
Therefore, to prevent an influx of questionable and potentially unsafe OTC drugs from being stocked on New York bargain store shelves, I ask CBP and the FDA to begin a targeted crackdown on Chinese-made OTC drugs. CBP and FDA should double their efforts to work hand-in-glove to ensure these products are turned away and American companies who might receive them are held accountable.
In addition, to better understand the challenges posed by OTC drugs from China, I ask that you respond to the following questions:
- How does CBP work with the FDA to inspect, detect, and prevent foreign and Chinese-made OTC drugs from entering the U.S.?
- Has the CBP conducted specialized training or used advanced screening technology to improve the identification of questionable OTC drugs to the U.S.?
- What more, if anything, might CBP or the FDA require from the legislative branch to address the problem of unsafe OTC drugs arriving to the U.S so we can curtail these shipments, especially from China?
- Can your agencies provide any updated statistic to help Congress understand the scope of the problem and has CBD, the FDA, or any other federal agency raised these issues with the Chinese government?
Thank you for your prompt attention to this matter.
Sincerely,
Charles E. Schumer
United States Senator
cc: Norman E. “Ned” Sharpless, M.D
Acting Commissioner, FDA
