The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is warning consumers about 27 over-the-counter eye drops, citing a risk of infection that, in the most severe cases, could lead to blindness.
Patients with signs or symptoms of eye infection after using these products should immediately contact their healthcare provider and seek medical care. The FDA has recommended a recall of products marketed under the following brands:
- CVS Health
- Equate Hydration PF Lubricant Eye Drop 10 mL, which Walmart sold in stores and online. Walmart has removed them from its shelves and its website, the FDA said Monday.
- Leader (Cardinal Health)
- Rite Aid
- Rugby (Cardinal Health)
- Target Up & Up
- Velocity Pharma
The products are intended to be sterile because drugs applied to the eyes bypass some of the body’s natural defenses — which is why, for example, it’s easier to catch a cold or flu by rubbing your eyes with infected hands. Bypassing those same natural defenses, the FDA says, unsanitary eye drops can lead to partial vision loss or blindness. The FDA says it has received no “adverse event reports” that such complications have resulted.
