ST. LOUIS – 2023 has become the year of the eye drop recall. St. Louis ophthalmologist Dr. Jason Brinton explained the situation Wednesday on FOX 2 News in the Morning.
“The FDA had concerns about whether the eye drops were sterile and some inspections at a manufacturing plant that manufactured some of those confirmed that,” Brinton said.
What’s followed has been a series of warnings and voluntary recalls of products traced back to Global Pharma Healthcare, a manufacturer in India.
“Originally, in February, when this came out, there were 81 individuals affected in 18 states, including the state of Illinois,” Brinton said. “Of those, about 14 had vision loss. Four had to have their eyes surgically removed and four died as a result of this.”
The FDA said the products were marketed under several popular brands, like CVS Health, Rite Aid, and Target Up & Up.
“Any eye drop that’s been recalled should be off the shelf at this point, and I think it’s important American consumers have confidence in the supply and sterility of their eye drops,” Brinton said.
Brinton advised consumers to recognize the symptoms of an eye-drop-related infection in order to seek quick medical attention.
“Such as if you have redness or tearing or the sensation like there’s something in your eye. If your eye hurts,” he said. “In those cases, it’s important to seek medical help immediately if you’ve just taken an eye drop.”
