By Jeanne Yacoubou, MS
In December 2024, The VRG acquired a weblog remark from a reader in regards to the CVS model of ibuprofen. He stated: “I’ve alpha-gal syndrome and celiac illness so I’m very cautious in regards to the merchandise with which I come into contact. In a name and comply with up emails with CVS customer support, I used to be suggested that their ibuprofen 200mg tablets are manufactured by Perrigo and “include beef tallow to provide the stearic acid.” I assumed you would possibly wish to know.”
The VRG wished to verify what our reader had advised us in regards to the CVS model of ibuprofen 200 mg tablets. We first known as the final customer support line hoping to get an instantaneous affirmation. The consultant appeared it up in her system however may discover not more than what was on the field label: stearic acid. She had no entry to ingredient supply data. So, she linked us with the CVS company workplace.
The company workplace didn’t have any extra data and stated they weren’t those to contact about an ingredient supply, both. They transferred us to our native CVS pharmacy in Maryland.
The primary native pharmacist gave us the telephone variety of what she known as the drug “producer.” Once we known as the quantity, we found that the corporate, PL Improvement, was each a producer and distributor of sure CVS model merchandise. She requested for the lot quantity or the NDC variety of the drug. Once we advised her that we didn’t have both as a result of we had not bought it, she requested the NDC quantity from a photograph of the product we had seen on-line.
Once we gave it to her, she entered the quantity into her system. She then acknowledged that her firm doesn’t provide CVS with that specific model, so she had no details about its elements. She additionally urged that CVS, as a big pharmacy chain, may use a number of producers of the identical product, relying on value, location, or availability.
She beneficial that we ask a CVS pharmacy for a producer of the product. With that data, we may contact the producer straight to search out out extra in regards to the ingredient. So, she transferred us again to our native CVS pharmacy.
This time, once we specified that we wished to contact the producer of the CVS model ibuprofen, the pharmacist stated he didn’t understand how to try this. Once we urged utilizing the NDC quantity, he repeated that he didn’t understand how that may assist.
So, we used the web site contact kind to attempt to get a solution. After submitting the query, we acquired an computerized reply that we’d get a solution in 1-2 days.
We not solely acquired a response the next day. We additionally acquired a voicemail from CVS informing us that their e mail response had been despatched earlier that day, and asking if it had answered our questions or if we had another questions.
Right here’s the e-mail: “CVS Well being Ibuprofen Ache Reliever & Fever Reducer (NSAID) 200 MG Coated Tablets isn’t thought of vegan…It accommodates stearic acid, which is derived from beef tallow.”
Since The VRG had beforehand realized from PL Improvement (see above) that multiple producer may provide this product to the pharmacy chain, the CVS e mail doesn’t present sufficient details about the vegan standing of all CVS model ibuprofen tablets. There may be definitely not less than one producer that makes use of beef tallow-derived stearic acid, however we can’t assume that each one do. It’s possible you’ll want to err on the facet of warning, nonetheless, and never purchase any of them.
When you’d actually wish to know in regards to the CVS model ibuprofen on the shelf in your native CVS pharmacy, we suggest you ship the entire product title and its lot and NDC numbers (on the field) to CVS via its web site contact kind. Anticipate a solution earlier than buy. When you get a response totally different from those we or our reader acquired, please tell us at [email protected].
The contents of this posting, our web site and our different publications, together with Vegan Journal, should not supposed to offer private medical recommendation. Medical recommendation must be obtained from a certified well being skilled. We frequently depend upon product and ingredient data from firm statements. It’s unimaginable to be 100% positive a couple of assertion, data can change, individuals have totally different views, and errors will be made. Please use your greatest judgment about whether or not a product is appropriate for you. To make certain, do additional analysis or affirmation by yourself.