Infection
FDA issues warning about certain eye drops from several major brands due to risk of eye infection
FIVE AT 535 ON YOUR HEALTH. TONIGHT, AN URGENT ALERT ABOUT USING EYEDROPS. HERE TO EXPLAIN IS DR. ALI RAJA, DEPUTY CHAIR OF THE DEPARTMENT OF EMERGENCY MEDICINE AT MASS GENERAL HOSPITAL. THANKS FOR JOINING US, DR. RAJA. THANKS, ERIKA. ALL RIGHT. DR. RAJA, THE FDA NOW WARNING AMERICANS TO STOP USING 26. THAT’S MORE THAN TWO DOZEN DIFFERENT EYEDROP PRODUCTS, INCLUDING SOME STORE BRANDS FROM TARGET AND CVS. WHAT’S THE CONCERN HERE? OH, SO THE WORRY BEN IS THAT THEIR USE CAN ACTUALLY DO SERIOUS EYE INFECTION. SO THE FDA FOUND THAT THE FACILITY THEY’RE MANUFACTURED IN HAD POSITIVE BACTERIAL TEST RESULTS IN THE AREAS THAT THEY USED FOR DRUG MANUFACTURING. SO SINCE THESE DROPS GO DIRECTLY INTO THE EYE, THOSE BACTERIA COULD CAUSE PRETTY SERIOUS INFECTIONS, WHICH IS WHY THEY’RE ASKING THAT THE PRODUCTS BE BE RECALLED AND IF YOU’VE ALREADY BOUGHT THEM THAT YOU THROW THEM AWAY. ANYONE WHO WEARS CONTACTS KNOWS HOW SENSITIVE THE EYES ARE. AS YOU KNOW, DR. RAJA, THIS IS THE SECOND TIME THIS YEAR THE FDA HAS ISSUED AN ALERT ABOUT EYE DROPS. SO WHAT CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT THE FIRST CASE? SO ERIKA, THAT WAS BACK IN MAY AND IT WASN’T CONNECTED TO THIS RECALL AT ALL. SO AT THAT TIME, THE FDA FOUND A DRUG RESISTANT FORM OF PSEUDOMONAS, WHICH IS THIS REALLY SERIOUS BACTERIA THAT’S HARD TO TREAT WITH ANTIBIOTICS. THEY FOUND 81 PATIENTS WHO HAD INFECTIONS FROM 18 DIFFERENT STATES. 14 OF THEM LOST THEIR VISION. AND FOUR HAD TO HAVE AN ENUCLEATION, WHICH IS WHERE YOU ACTUALLY HAVE TO REMOVE THE INFECTED EYE. SO ALL THAT’S REALLY SERIOUS. IT JUST GOES TO SHOW YOU JUST HOW BAD THESE EYE INFECTIONS CAN GET. YEAH, ABSOLUTELY. SO FOLKS USUALLY BUY THESE PRODUCTS WHEN THEIR EYES ARE ALREADY BOTHERING THEM. SO I WOULD THINK THAT WOULD MAKE IT TOUGHER TO CATCH A NEW PROBLEM, AT LEAST ON THE EARLY SIDE. SO WHAT’S YOUR ADVICE TO FOLKS WHO MAY HAVE BEEN USING THESE EYE DROPS OVER THE PAST COUPLE OF DAYS OR WEEKS OR WHAT HAVE YOU? YOU’RE RIGHT, BEN NOW, THE GOOD NEWS IS THAT MOST OF THESE DROPS WERE LUBRICATES DROPS, SO THEY’RE MOSTLY JUST MEANT FOR DRY EYES. SO IF YOU’VE BEEN USING THESE DROPS, BUT YOU START TO NOTICE ANY SORT OF DISCHARGE FROM YOUR EYES OR THE FEELING THAT SOMETHING’S IN YOUR EYE OR BLURRED VISION OR PAIN, IT’S REALLY IMPORTANT THAT YOU CALL YOUR EYE DOCTOR SO THAT THEY CAN ACTUALLY SEE YOU IN THE OFFICE AND EXAMINE YOU AND FIND OUT WHETHER
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FDA issues warning about certain eye drops from several major brands due to risk of eye infection
Updated: 7:29 PM EDT Oct 30, 2023
Twenty-six over-the-counter eye drop products including those sold under store brands such as CVS, Target and Rite Aid, could lead to a serious eye infection resulting in vision loss or blindness, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration warns. The agency found “insanitary conditions in the manufacturing facility and positive bacterial test results from environmental sampling of critical drug production areas in the facility” and is recommending 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, are supposed to be sterile.There are no reports of injuries from using the products at this time, according to the FDA, but the agency says that anyone “who has signs or symptoms of an eye infection after using these products should talk to their health care provider or seek medical care immediately.”It also advises that anyone with these eye drops should discard them immediately.Target, Rite Aid and CVS are removing the products from store shelves and will stop selling them online. The products sold under Leader, Velocity and Rugby’s names 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 not to use several other eye drop products due to microbial contamination. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported the use of eye drops contaminated with a drug-resistant bacteria resulted in some patients experiencing vision loss, surgical removal of their eyes and death.
Twenty-six over-the-counter eye drop products including those sold under store brands such as CVS, Target and Rite Aid, could lead to a serious eye infection resulting in vision loss or blindness, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration warns.
The agency found “insanitary conditions in the manufacturing facility and positive bacterial test results from environmental sampling of critical drug production areas in the facility” and is recommending the products be recalled.
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The eye drops, sold under the brands CVS Health, Rite Aid, Target Up&Up, Leader (Cardinal Health), Rugby (Cardinal Health) and Velocity Pharma, are supposed to be sterile.
There are no reports of injuries from using the products at this time, according to the FDA, but the agency says that anyone “who has signs or symptoms of an eye infection after using these products should talk to their health care provider or seek medical care immediately.”
It also advises that anyone with these eye drops should discard them immediately.
Target, Rite Aid and CVS are removing the products from store shelves and will stop selling them online. The products sold under Leader, Velocity and Rugby’s names 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 not to use several other eye drop products due to microbial contamination. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported the use of eye drops contaminated with a drug-resistant bacteria resulted in some patients experiencing vision loss, surgical removal of their eyes and death.
