Lawsuit Accuses Westminster, CVS of Selling Recalled Thyroid Tablets

Westminster Pharmaceuticals and CVS committed fraud in knowingly selling adulterated thyroid drugs, according to a class-action federal lawsuit.

In the Oct. 3 complaint, plaintiff Kim Yachera of Crum Lynne, Pa., charged that Westminster knowingly delayed recalling unexpired lots of Levothyroxine and Liothyronine made with porcine thyroid APIs from Sichuan Friendly Pharmaceutical after an FDA inspection revealed the APIs contained inconsistent levels of the hormones and “should not be used to manufacture or compound drugs for patient use.”

Westminster said it sourced the APIs before the FDA placed Sichuan Friendly on an import alert in March after an October 2017 inspection of its Neijiang City plant found it failed to conduct residual solvent testing — and the APIs contained inconsistent levels of Levothyroxine and Liothyronine.

The complaint alleges that Westminster knew there were problems with the drugs for months but didn’t recall them until August after the FDA forced its hand.