Federal health officials are advising consumers to stop using more than two dozen over-the-counter eyedrop products because of the potential risk of eye infections, which can lead to partial vision loss or blindness.
The Food and Drug Administration issued an alert Friday, flagging 26 eye care products Which includes eyedrops and gels from CVS Health, Leader (Cardinal Health), Rugby (Cardinal Health), Rite Aid, Target Up & Up and Velocity Pharma.
The federal agency recommended on Wednesday that the manufacturer recall all of its products after agency investigators found unsanitary conditions at a manufacturing plant, with positive bacterial tests from critical drug production areas at the plant, according to a news release from the FDA. Came, which the agency did not immediately identify.
The FDA said it has not received any reports of infections linked to these products, but is encouraging health care professionals and patients to report any cases to the agency.
It’s important that these products be sterile, regulators said, because ophthalmic medications bypass some of the body’s natural defenses.
The FDA said consumers should discard properly by carrying these products drug take back site or by checking whether a product was involved FDA’s “Flush List”Medications that can be safely discarded at home.
CVS, Rite Aid and Target are removing the product from their stores and websites, the agency said. Federal regulators said products bearing the Leader, Rugby and Velocity brands may still be available in stores and online and should not be purchased.
Rite Aid confirmed through a spokesperson that it was removing “applicable Rite Aid branded products” from store shelves. A spokesperson for CVS said the retail chain has “immediately ceased in-store and online sales of all products supplied by Velocity Pharma within the CVS Health Brand Eye Products portfolio” and that customers may return those products for a full refund. can do. Other retailers did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
There have been other recent reports of problems with ophthalmic products.
In JanuaryThe Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the FDA have warned consumers to stop using EzriCare Artificial Tears and Delsam Pharma Artificial Tears. The eyedrops were linked to a drug-resistant strain of the bacteria Pseudomonas aeruginosa, which was Linked to at least four deaths and vision loss occurred in 14 patients.
Canadian pharmaceutical company Apotex recalled prescription eyedrops in March after some bottle caps were found to be off developed cracksWhich may compromise the sterility of the product.
Experts say the use of eyedrops is generally safe. According to this, eyedrops are projected to be used by 123 million Americans by 2024 StatistaA market research firm.
