US FDA Urges Caution: Avoid Select Eye Drops Amidst Growing Infection Concerns
Bengaluru: The U S.Food and Drug Administration on Friday issued a warning to to consumers to not purchase or use certain eye drops from several major brands due to the risk of eye infection.
The FDA is cautioning against using 26 over-the-counter eye drop products, as they pose a risk of causing partial vision loss or even blindness. These eye drops are sold by companies like CVS Health, Rite Aid, Cardinal Health, Target’s up & up brand, and Velocity Pharma. The FDA has gone a step further by requesting these manufacturers to recall all batches of these products.
To prioritize consumer safety, CVS, Rite Aid, and Target have taken immediate action by removing these products from their store shelves and online platforms, as advised by the FDA. However, it’s important to note that some of these eye drops, particularly those branded as Leader Rugby and Velocity, might still be available for purchase both in stores and online. The FDA strongly recommends refraining from buying these specific products
U.S FDA Urges : Avoid Use Of Select Eyedrops
Health officials are urging you to steer clear of more than two dozen over-the-counter eye drop products due to concerns about a potential risk of eye infections that could result in partial vision loss or even blindness.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) sounded the alarm on Friday, highlighting 26 eye care products, including eye drops and gels, from CVS Health, Leader (Cardinal Health), Rugby (Cardinal Health), Rite Aid, Target’s up&up, and Velocity Pharma.
After FDA investigators discovered unsanitary conditions in a manufacturing facility, the agency recommended on Wednesday that the manufacturer recall all batches of these products. While the FDA did not immediately disclose the plant’s location, bacterial tests in critical drug production areas there came back positive.
It’s important to note that the FDA has not received any reports of infections linked to these products. Still, they are encouraging healthcare professionals and patients to report any such cases to the agency.
These products need to be sterile, according to regulators, because medications applied to the eyes bypass some of the body’s natural defenses.
The FDA advises consumers to properly dispose of these products at a drug take-back site or by checking the FDA’s “flush list” of drugs that can be safely discarded at home.
CVS, Rite Aid, and Target are complying with the FDA’s directive by removing these products from their stores and websites. However, products branded as Leader, Rugby, and Velocity may still be available in stores and online and should not be purchased, according to federal regulators.
Rite Aid confirmed that it was removing relevant Rite Aid branded products from store shelves. CVS immediately halted the sale of all products supplied by Velocity Pharma within the CVS Health Brand Eye Products portfolio, and customers can return these products for a full refund. Other retailers did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
This recent development follows other reports of issues with eye products. In January, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the FDA cautioned against using EzriCare Artificial Tears and Delsam Pharma’s Artificial Tears, as they were linked to a drug-resistant strain of the bacterium Pseudomonas aeruginosa, associated with at least four deaths and vision loss in 14 patients.
In March, Apotex, a Canadian pharmaceutical company, recalled prescription eye drops due to cracks in bottle caps that could compromise product sterility.
It’s essential to note that eye drops are generally safe for use. By 2024, an estimated 123 million Americans are projected to use eye drops, according to Statista, a market research firm.
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