EYE DROP RECALLS
Many of us seniors use eye drops to treat conditions such as dryness or irritation. More than likely your eye drops are harmless and you can safely keep using them.
Still, you may have seen the news stories about bacterial contamination in bottles of “artificial tears.” It’s a new strain of “superbug” and caused people to fall ill with eye, respiratory and urinary tract infections that didn’t respond to antibiotics. As of March 14, 68 cases have been identified by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Three of the infected people died, eight lost their vision, and four had to have an eye surgically removed.
Thus, the Food and Drug Administration has warned people to stop using the brand names EzriCare Artifical Tears and Delsam Pharma Artificial Tears, which are imported from a factory in India belonging to Global Pharma Healthcare company. Receptacles of these eye drops contained an extremely drug-resistant strain of Pseudomonas aeruginosa, a bacterium that survived exposure to many of the medications normally used to treat it. The FDA has also recalled Global Pharma Healthcard Artificial Eye Ointment due to possible bacterial contamination although no infections have been associated with this product.
There have been two other eye drop recalls that were not linked to the bacteria outbreak. Here’s info on these recalls plus advice from the April 4, 2023 New York Times online article by Amanda Holpuch, What to Know About the Recent Eye Drop Recalls
What other eye drops have been recalled?
The two other eye drop recalls were not linked to the bacteria outbreak
On March 1, Apotex recalled prescription eye drops used to reduce eye pressure in people with glaucoma or ocular hypertension. The company recalled six lots of Brimonidine Tartrate Ophthalmic Solution 0.15 percent because at least four bottle caps developed cracks, which could affect the product’s sterility.
On March 3, Pharmedica recalled two lots of Purely Soothing 15 percent MSM Drops because they were not sterile. These drops are used to treat eye irritation and swelling.
This flurry of recalls may have you second-guessing your trusted source of dry-eye relief, but there are significant differences among the recalls and plenty of steps you can take to stay safe.
“I would encourage all people out there who take eye drops to continue using them, of course making sure that they’re not using any of these that are recalled,” said Dr. Christopher Star, a clinical spokesman for the American Academy of Ophthalmology.
See a doctor if you have symptoms
People who have used these artificial tears and who have symptoms of an eye infection should see a doctor immediately, the C.D.C. said. The symptoms can include yellow, green or clear discharge from the eye, redness of the eye or eyelid, increased sensitivity to light and eye pain or discomfort.
Apotex said that people who received its recalled eye drops, which were distributed between April 5, 2022, and Feb. 22, should contact their health care provider and pharmacy.
Pharmedica said that, as of March 3, it had not received any reports of illness or other “adverse events” from the use of their eye drops. The company did not specify how many bottles were affected or how the bottles became unsterile.
Eye drops are generally safe
Dr. Barbara Tylka, an optometrist at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., said that, in general, eye drops are safe to use and that many people need them to treat conditions such as dryness or irritation. About 117 million Americans used eye drops and eyewash in 2020, according to Statista, a market research firm.
To use eye drops safely, Dr. Tylka said that people should use their own bottle and make sure it has not expired. People who have had eye drops prescribed to them for a procedure such as cataract surgery should stop using those products once the healing process is over, she said.
To safely apply eye drops, she said, people should use their non-dominant hand to “gently tug on the lower eyelid, look up slightly,” and then, with the dominant hand, put “that little drop in that lower cul-de-sac in the eyelid area.”
Dr. Starr, an associate professor of ophthalmology at Weill Cornell Medicine, said that one thing some patients do wrong is press the bottle tip into the inner corner of the eye, which can contaminate the drops and scratch the surface of the eye. He said that when he accidentally hits his eyelid or eyelashes with the bottle tip, he considers the bottle contaminated and either resterilizes it or replaces it.
Dr. Starr and Dr. Tylka both emphasized that, while the recalls were worrying, eye drops are generally safe. “I’ve continued to use eyedrops every day throughout this whole thing,” Dr. Starr said.