Q&A: FDA warning a reminder that consumers should use doctor-recommended eye drops
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The recent FDA warning about 26 potentially contaminated eye drop products, including some marketed under CVS Health, Leader, Rugby, Rite Aid, Target Up&Up and Velocity Pharma, may have caused some confusion among consumers.
Since the warning was issued, several companies have initiated voluntary recalls, urging consumers to discontinue use and seek medical care if they exhibit any signs of infection.
Healio spoke with William Hogue, OD, of Vitreous Retina Macula Consultants of New York, about the FDA warning and subsequent recalls.
Healio: What do clinicians need to know about the latest FDA warning regarding certain eye drops?
Hogue: The main thing clinicians should know would be the list of eye drops that have been recalled and the reason they’ve been recalled, as far as possible contamination. The FDA hasn’t given a whole lot of clarity to exactly what caused them to pull the drops off the market. Particularly with the generic versions of the drops — like the CVS brands, the Target brand — the presumption is that they were using the same supplier and there was a factory with some degree of contamination.
Clinicians should be on the lookout for signs and symptoms of eye infections – redness, mucous discharge or ulcers – like we normally would, and treat those appropriately.
Healio: How can optometrists advise their patients regarding which eye drops are safe to use?
Hogue: They should educate patients that they need to seek out the advice of either an optometrist or an ophthalmologist on which drops are safe and use the drops we recommend, as opposed to going for any old generic artificial tear.
There are name brands we trust made by big companies. With companies like that we know those are tried-and-true drops and that the risk for contamination is very low, because they have strict protocols at their factories to prevent this type of thing from happening.
Healio: What steps do you recommend patients should take if they suspect something is wrong with their eye drops?
Hogue: The distinction needs to be made between prescription drops and over-the-counter drops. It’s very important that patients who are on prescription drops understand that they should not alter the medication they’re using in any way, and that they need to keep up with the prescribed drops their doctor has given them. I think the news has scared people away from using drops in general, but it only refers to generic or over-the-counter drops that don’t require a prescription. Patients need to be aware that they should continue their prescribed regimen.
If patients are using a generic artificial tear that was recalled, they should immediately discontinue it and monitor for any signs of infection, including redness, discharge from the eye, pain in the eye and blurry vision. The problem is that those are generic symptoms that people with dry eye experience. If they’re using artificial tears, they probably have some of those symptoms from the dryness, so it can be pretty difficult to determine whether the underlying cause is just dryness or whether it’s an actual infection.
If they’re experiencing any symptoms, it’s better to get it checked out, and their eye doctor can recommend a brand that has not been compromised.
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