FDA Warns Consumers Against 26 Eye Drop Products Over Infection Risk

Federal regulators are warning consumers to stop using a number of over-the-counter eye drops that may pose an infection risk, marking the latest of several alerts this year against artificial tears.

The notice applies to 26 eye drop products marketed under several store brands, such as CVS Health, Rite Aid and Target Up & Up, in addition to the Leader, Rugby and Velocity Pharma brands, the Food and Drug Administration said Friday. The eye drops may contain bacteria that could cause eye infections, potentially blinding them, the agency said. 

The FDA said it has not received any reports of infections from consumers who have used the suspect products. However, the agency is recommending that manufacturers pull all potentially contaminated products from store shelves. 

According to the FDA, federal investigators found harmful bacteria and "insanitary conditions" at a manufacturing facility where several eye drop products are produced. 

The agency urged consumers who have purchased the potentially contaminated eye drops to discard them. The FDA said that consumers who think they have suffered an adverse reaction to the lubricants should report their concerns to the agency's MedWatch Adverse Event Reporting program. 

The alert follows a series of eye drop recalls the FDA issued earlier this year after federal health investigators found evidence that several products were contaminated with a dangerous drug-resistant bacteria known as Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Eye drops tainted with the bacteria are linked to the death of at least four people, with dozens more affected across 18 states, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data shows. 

The FDA's latest warning applies to the following eye drop products sold throughout the U.S.