Walgreens responds to FDA letter on tobacco sales to minors
Walgreens on Tuesday said it welcomed a meeting with Food and Drug Administration commissioner Scott Gottlieb to discuss its approach to preventing the sale of tobacco to minors.
The statement followed a letter that Gottlieb sent to the chain Monday Gottlieb wrote a letter to the chain Monday requesting a meeting with its leadership to discuss what he called “this corporate-wide issue related to your stores' noncompliance” when it came to selling tobacco to minors.
Walgreens’s response also noted, “We have a zero tolerance policy prohibiting the sale of tobacco products to minors and any employee violating this policy is subject to immediate termination. We require age verification from anyone purchasing these products, regardless of age, in all of our stores nationwide. While lowering the visibility of tobacco products in certain stores, we also continue to focus efforts on promoting cessation products and services, and all of our pharmacists and technicians are trained and certified on supporting any customer wanting to quit on their terms.
In a letter on Monday to Walgreens, Gottlieb called the chain the “top violator” with regard to tobacco sales to minors among pharmacy chains selling tobacco products, based on FDA inspections since 2010. He said that 22% of the stores the FDA has inspected have illegally sold tobacco products to minors.
The statement followed a letter that Gottlieb sent to the chain Monday Gottlieb wrote a letter to the chain Monday requesting a meeting with its leadership to discuss what he called “this corporate-wide issue related to your stores' noncompliance” when it came to selling tobacco to minors.
Walgreens’s response also noted, “We have a zero tolerance policy prohibiting the sale of tobacco products to minors and any employee violating this policy is subject to immediate termination. We require age verification from anyone purchasing these products, regardless of age, in all of our stores nationwide. While lowering the visibility of tobacco products in certain stores, we also continue to focus efforts on promoting cessation products and services, and all of our pharmacists and technicians are trained and certified on supporting any customer wanting to quit on their terms.
In a letter on Monday to Walgreens, Gottlieb called the chain the “top violator” with regard to tobacco sales to minors among pharmacy chains selling tobacco products, based on FDA inspections since 2010. He said that 22% of the stores the FDA has inspected have illegally sold tobacco products to minors.