FDA Warns That 26 Eye Drop Products Being Sold At CVS, Rite Aid And Target Could Cause Blindness

The FDA has flagged over two dozen over-the-counter eye drop merchandise in any respect main retailers like CVS, Target, and Rite Aid.

In line with studies, shoppers are being suggested of those merchandise due to potential eye infections as a result of unsanitary manufacturing situations, which may result in partial imaginative and prescient loss or blindness.

“These products are intended to be sterile.  Ophthalmic drug products pose a potential heightened risk of harm to users because drugs applied to the eyes bypass some of the body’s natural defenses,” the FDA stated in a press release Friday.  “FDA recommended the manufacturer of these products recall all lots on October 25, 2023, after agency investigators found insanitary conditions in the manufacturing facility and positive bacterial test results from environmental sampling of critical drug production areas in the facility.”

The FDA recognized 26 affected eye drop merchandise offered beneath varied manufacturers like CVS Well being, Chief (Cardinal Well being), Rugby (Cardinal Well being), Rite Aid, Target Up&Up, and Velocity Pharma, with an entire checklist accessible on the FDA’s web site.

The company is urging the quick stoppage of the usage of eye drop merchandise and correct disposal by way of drug take-back websites or following FDA pointers for trash disposal.

Target, Rite Aid, and CVS are pulling the affected eye drop merchandise from their shops and web sites.  Nevertheless, merchandise labeled as Chief, Rugby, and Velocity “may still be available.”

In line with ABC, Cardinal Well being, the corporate behind the manufacturers Rugby and Chief, is working to “initiate a recall” of its impacted merchandise.

“FDA notified us of a possible eye infection risk affiliated with some of our Rugby Laboratories and Leader branded eye care products, and immediately upon being notified, we placed all identified impacted eye drop products in our inventory on hold and contacted Velocity Pharma, the supplier of the impacted eye drop products,” Cardinal Well being stated in a press release. “We are in the process of working with Velocity Pharma and FDA to initiate a recall of all impacted Rugby Laboratories and Cardinal Health Leader branded eye drop products to further safeguard public health and safety.”

The assertion continued, “We take FDA’s consumer notification regarding the risk of using impacted Rugby Laboratories and Leader-branded eye drop products very seriously.  We are working with Velocity Pharma, the supplier of the impacted eye drop products, to gain additional insight regarding the unsanitary conditions identified by the FDA at the manufacturing facility.”

Rite Aid instructed ABC, “Due to safety concerns identified by the FDA, we are removing the applicable Rite Aid-branded products from our store shelves.”

Moreover, CVS said that they’d give a full refund to anybody who bought an impacted product.