Twenty-six eye drops sold over the counter, including those sold under private labels such as CVS, Target, and Rite Aid, may lead to severe eye infections, resulting in vision loss or blindness, warns the Food and Drug Administration.
The agency found “unsanitary conditions at manufacturing facilities and positive test results for bacteria in environmental samples from critical drug production areas” and is recommending that the products be recalled.
The eye drops, sold under the brands CVS Health, Rite Aid, Target Up&Up, Leader (Cardinal Health), Rugby (Cardinal Health), and Velocity Pharma, tested positive in the bacterial test.
There are currently no reports of injuries from the use of the products, according to the FDA, but the agency states that anyone “who shows signs or symptoms of an eye infection after using these products should seek medical attention immediately.”
It also advises that anyone with these eye drops should discard them immediately.
Target, Rite Aid, and CVS are pulling the products from shelves and will stop selling them online. Products sold under the names Leader, Velocity, and Rugby may still be in some stores or available online and should not be purchased, the FDA said.
Earlier this year, the FDA issued a warning for the public not to use several other eye drops due to microbial contamination. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that the use of eye drops contaminated with a drug-resistant bacteria resulted in vision loss for some patients, surgical removal of eyes, and death.
Source: CNN