Walgreens Class Action Lawsuit Says Joint Supplement is Mislabeled

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A New York consumer has initiated a Walgreens class action lawsuit against the drugstore over allegations that its store-brand glucosamine sulfate supplement contains glucosamine hydrochloride instead.

Plaintiff Theda Jackson-Mau explains that many people who suffer from joint pain or osteoarthritis take glucosamine to address the associated symptoms.

According to the Walgreens glucosamine class action lawsuit, there are two possible formulations for this supplement: glucosamine hydrochloride and glucosamine sulfate.

Many people reportedly opt for glucosamine sulfate since it is expected that this formulation is more effective than other versions. The price of this formulation is usually higher.

The Walgreens class action lawsuit alleges that the plaintiff purchased a bottle of glucosamine sulfate from Walgreens that stated on the label that it contained 1000 mg of glucosamine sulfate under the Finest Nutrition brand.

However, independent laboratory testing completed before filing the Walgreens glucosamine class action lawsuit allegedly shows that the supplement contains glucosamine hydrochloride and not glucosamine sulfate.

The Walgreens glucosamine class action lawsuit, therefore, was filed on behalf of the plaintiff and other purchasers of the Finest Nutrition Glucosamine Sulfate product for violations of New York law in addition to a nationwide claim that Walgreens breached its contract, was unjustly enriched, and misrepresented the product.

The plaintiff who initiated the Walgreens class action lawsuit on behalf of herself and other Class Members says that she would not have purchased the product if she was aware that it did not contain glucosamine sulfate in the amount stated on the exterior of the product.

The Walgreens glucosamine class action lawsuit says that the drugstore took advantage of the fact that the supplement market in the United States has been expanding rapidly and the fact that many people are turning to glucosamine on a regular basis in order to treat their joint pain or arthritis.

Since the supplement was sold under the store’s brand, the Walgreens class action lawsuit argues that the company misrepresented what was inside the bottle in order to encourage a purchase from consumers who thought they were getting glucosamine sulfate.

The Walgreens glucosamine sulfate class action lawsuit explains that the plaintiff purchased a bottle of this product in March 2018 after drawing a reasonable conclusion based on the label that the caplets inside were glucosamine sulfate. The bottle was purchased to address joint pain and the sulfate formulation was chosen because of the expected greater effectiveness.

A lab analysis that was completed on the plaintiff’s behalf after making that purchase identified that the pills contained glucosamine hydrochloride, but no presence of glucosamine sulfate was detected inside the pills.

The Walgreens glucosamine class action lawsuit argues that consumers, outside of lab testing pursued on their own, would have no way of knowing that the pills contained glucosamine hydrochloride and not glucosamine sulfate.

The misrepresentation of the label, according to the Walgreens supplement class action lawsuit, misleads consumers and encourages them to pay a premium price for a product that is not as promised.

The plaintiff seeks to represent Class Members who purchased dietary supplements labeled glucosamine sulfate from Walgreens except for purchases made for resale purchases and a New York Class of all citizens in New York who purchased the supplement from Walgreens outside of resale purposes.

The plaintiff is represented by Carl. L. Stine and Matthew Insley-Pruitt of Wolf Popper LLP.

The Walgreens Glucosamine Sulfate Supplement Class Action Lawsuit is Theda Jackson-Mau v. Walgreen Co., Case No. 1:18-cv-04868, in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York.