FDA Warns Against Using 26 Eye Drop Brands That Might Lead to Infection – If you rely on eye drops to get sweet relief from dryness or itchiness, you’ll definitely want to take a closer look into your medicine cabinet: US health officials are now advising consumers to avoid a ton of different (and pretty popular) formulas over concerns of potential bacterial contamination.
On Friday, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a warning against 26 kinds of over-the-counter drops sold by major brands, including CVS Health, Rite Aid, Target Up & Up, Leader, Rugby, and Velocity Pharma, “due to the potential risk of eye infections that could result in partial vision loss or blindness.” According to the release, investigators found unsanitary conditions—and, more specifically, bacteria—in the facility where the drops were manufactured. However, it did not name the specific bacteria strain, manufacturer, or location.
The list was updated on Monday to include another popular option sold at Walmart: Equate Hydration PF Lubricant Eye Drops. The FDA encouraged all retailers to recall the potentially contaminated products last Wednesday, and the release confirms that Walmart, CVS, Rite Aid, and Target are removing the affected items from their stores and websites. However, those branded as Leader, Rugby, and Velocity may still be available (and should not be purchased, the FDA says).
The full list of products can be found here and includes the following:
- Lubricant Eye Drops 15 ml (single pack)
- Lubricant Eye Drops 15 ml (twin pack)
- Multi-Action Relief Drops 15 ml
- Lubricating Gel Drops 10 ml
- Lubricant Eye Drops 10 ml (single pack)
- Lubricant Eye Drops 10 ml (twin pack)
- Mild Moderate Lubricating Eye Drops 15 ml (single pack)
- Lubricating Tears Eye Drops 15 ml
- Polyvinyl Alcohol 1.4% Lubricating Eye Drops 15 ml
- Dry Eye Relief 10 ml
- Lubricant Eye Drops 15 ml (single pack)
- Lubricant Eye Drops 15 ml (twin pack)
- Dry Eye Relief 15 ml
- Eye Irritation Relief 15 ml
- Lubricant Eye Drops 15 ml (twin pack)
- Lubricant Eye Drops 10 ml (twin pack)
- Gentle Lubricant Gel Eye Drops 15 ml
- Lubricant Gel Drops 15 ml
- Lubricant Gel Drops 10 ml
- Lubricating Gel Drops 10 ml
- Multi-Action Relief Drops 15 ml
- Up&Up Dry Eye Relief Lubricant Eye Drops 30 ml
- Up&Up Extreme Relief Dry Eye 15 ml (single pack)
- Up&Up Extreme Relief Dry Eye 30 ml (twin pack)
- Lubricant Eye Drop 10 ml (triple pack)
- Equate Hydration PF Lubricant Eye Drop 10 ml
So far, the FDA says there haven’t been any reports of eye infections associated with these products. This also isn’t the first time that eye drops have been recalled due to sterilization concerns, as SELF previously reported: Earlier this year, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) warned against using artificial tears by EzriCare, which were found to be contaminated with drug-resistant bacteria and linked to 50 reported infections (as well as one death).
If you have any of the above eye drops in your bathroom or nightstand, the FDA recommends that you stop using them immediately and throw them out (in a sealed plastic bag). It’s also critical to seek medical attention ASAP if you experience any pain, itching, irritation, swelling, discharge, blurred vision, or sensitivity to light—again, we don’t know the exact bacteria the investigators found, but those are all symptoms of an eye infection, according to Mayo Clinic. Even if your eyes seem perfectly fine and functional after using one of the recalled drops, it certainly wouldn’t hurt to play it safe and see an optometrist, if you can, to make sure you’re not, um, overlooking, anything.
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