FDA Warns Eye Drops From Major Brands May Cause Infection

MONDAY, Oct. 30, 2023 (HealthDay News) -- Federal regulators are warning consumers to stop using eye drops and gels from several major brands after finding unsanitary conditions in a manufacturing plant.

Twenty-six eye care products are part of the alert. Those concerning the U.S. Food and Drug Administration are branded CVS Health, Leader (Cardinal Health), Rugby (Cardinal Health), Rite Aid, Target Up & Up, and Velocity Pharma. The FDA urged the manufacturer to recall all lots of these products. CVS, Rite Aid, and Target are pulling products from shelves and websites.

Although there were no reports of infection, bacterial tests were positive in critical drug product areas of the plant. Patients and providers should report any issues to the FDA.

These are not the first in recent reports of unsanitary conditions at facilities making eye care products.

EzriCare Artificial Tears and Delsam Pharma Artificial Eye Ointment were linked to a drug-resistant strain of the bacterium Pseudomonas aeruginosa, leading the FDA and U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to warn consumers to stop using them in January. That situation was linked to at least four deaths and vision loss in 14 patients.

Then, in March, Canadian drug company Apotex recalled prescription eye drops after some developed cracks in the bottle caps.

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