The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has increased to 27 its list of widely sold eye drops which should cease to be used immediately due to potential risk of eye infections which “could result in partial vision loss or blindness.”
Tonight’s alert updates a list which first was reported Friday and includes products sold at Walmart, CVS, Rite Aid and Target.
The FDA says that agency investigators found “insanitary conditions in the manufacturing facility (used by the companies) and positive bacterial test results from environmental sampling of critical drug production areas in the facility.”
Although there have been no immediate reports so far of adverse eye infections, the FDA is encouraging health care professionals and patients to report adverse events or quality problems they encounter to the federal department.
It notes that the products cited “are intended to be sterile,” explaining that “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.”
Earlier today, Allegany Hope Community News also reported on the nationwide recall of WanaBana apple cinnamon fruit puree pouches for children because the products may contain elevated levels of lead.
Further information on the eye drops recall is available at https://bit.ly/46R8H65, with the WanaBana alert at https://bit.ly/3FDazmQ.
Various types of recall notices from the FDA are issued regularly at https://bit.ly/3tEDguJ.