The City of Philadelphia moved a step closer to banning the sale of expired products by CVS and other retailers on June 9, as the City Council's Health Committee voted 5-0 to send a bill banning such sales to the floor of the Council for final action. Supporters from the National Organization for Women, the Women's Community Revitalization Project, Congreso de Latinos Unidos and several labor organizations applauded the unanimous vote.Karen Collins of the Women's Community Revitalization Project told the committee she was upset when she heard on the news that CVS was selling expired medicines and other products. "I spend my hard-earned dollars there, and I expect products that are not outdated. ... As someone who has had to be creative on a fixed - also known as low - income, I have relied on these kinds of stores to feed my kids, calm their upset stomachs, and cure my own headache."
Low-income families often lack drug coverage and so they rely on over-the-counter medicines to treat their families' illnesses, according to Liana Rodriquez, who manages the Maternal Infant and Child Health Care Program at Philadelphia's Congreso de Latinos Unidos. But, said Rodriguez, those who don't read English rely on CVS and other stores to make sure the products they sell are not expired. She recalled a mother "that bought an expired baby food without knowing. Unfortunately, she found out the hard way, which was her having to take her child to the ER due to an upset stomach and vomiting."
Continue reading Philadelphia City Council Hears Testimony on Expired Goods at CVS.
