PROVIDENCE – CVS Pharmacy has launched a program that will require third-party testing of all vitamins and supplements sold in-store and online, CVS Health Corp. announced this week.
The move is designed to confirm the accuracy of the dietary ingredients listed on the supplement facts panel and to confirm that products are free from certain additives and ingredients, the company said.
The program is already underway, the company added, with 1,400 vitamins and supplements from 152 brands at CVS Pharmacy having already completed testing. CVS said it was the first and only national retailer to implement a program that “requires this caliber of standards for vitamins and supplements.”
The program is called the “Tested to be Trusted” program and will be included in CVS advertisements. Products will have to be certified either by NSF International, a global public-health testing, inspection and certification organization, or verified by the United States Pharmacopeia, a nonprofit organization that publishes an annual compendium of drug information, CVS said.
“CVS Pharmacy’s requirement of third-party testing of all vitamins and supplements uniquely positions us as a trusted retailer and health partner where consumers can shop for proactive wellness solutions with confidence,” stated Kevin Hourican, president of CVS Pharmacy and executive vice president of CVS Health. “We are seeing more customers focus on self-care as part of their overall health, and CVS is committed to providing access to new products and categories to empower people to practice self-care in their daily lives, especially since self-care varies based on an individual’s needs.”
The company told PBN Thursday that approximately 7% of tested vitamins and supplements failed in testing, resulting in either the update of label ingredient claims or pulling the product from CVS Pharmacy shelves.
