CVS Pharmacy announced in a press release last week that it will require independent testing on all vitamins and supplements sold in its stores — totaling nearly 10,000 locations in all. The testing will include more than 1,400 vitamins and supplements from 152 brands across 11 categories to help ensure that consumers are getting exactly what they think they are when they purchase the products.
![pharmacy]()
The third-party testing is part of the company’s new “Tested to Be Trusted” program — a campaign designed to help confirm the accuracy of the dietary ingredients listed on supplement labels and help ensure that products are free from certain additives and ingredients.
"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," said Kevin Hourican, president of CVS Pharmacy and executive vice president, 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."
This isn’t the first step the pharmacy brand has taken to “clean up” their products. In 2014, CVS removed tobacco from its stores. More recently, the company reformulated nearly 600 store brand beauty and personal care products to remove parabens, phthalates and formaldehyde ingredients.
As most vitamins and dietary supplements are not regulated by the Food and Drug Administration, they rarely undergo rigorous safety testing. This means that supplements available on store shelves could be contaminated with dangerous ingredients and that labels containing nutrient amounts may not be accurate. While the testing won’t ensure that the product is effective, it will help ensure that labels are accurate and supplements are free of various harmful ingredients.
The steps CVS has taken to help ensure consumer safety is certainly admirable and may make you feel a little more comfortable when shopping. But, as always, it’s up to you to be an informed consumer. All vitamins and supplements are not created equal. The best way to find vitamin and supplement brands that are safe and effective is to do your research.