Millions of eye drops sold across U.S. recalled because they may not be sterile
April 3 (UPI) — More than three million bottles of eye drops sold at stores across the United States have been recalled by their manufacturer because they may not be sterile.
K.C. Pharmaceuticals earlier this month issued a nationwide U.S. recall of roughly 3.1 million bottles of eight different eye drop products because of a “lack of assurance of sterility,” an FDA notice about the recall said.
The drops have been sold at some of the nation’s largest drug and grocery retailers, including CVS, H-E-B, Publix, Walgreens, Rite Aid, Kroger, Good Neighbor and several pharmaceutical supply companies.
K.C. Pharmaceuticals bills itself as the largest private label eye care supplier in North America, servicing 26 of the top 30 U.S. retailers and more than 90,000 stores across the country.
The voluntary recall, issued on March 3, has been categorized as a Class II recall, which the Federal Drug Administration told USA Today indicates that “the probability of a serious health issue is remote.”
People who have the drops also can continue to use them unless otherwise directed by K.C. Pharmaceuticals or the FDA, the agency said.
NBC News also reported that the FDA has not received reports of injuries linked to the recalled drops.
The eight types of drops included in the recall are Sterile EYE DROPS AC, EYE DROPS Advanced Relief, Dry Eye Relief Eye Drops, Ultra Lubricating Eye Drops, Sterile Eye Drops ORIGINAL FORMULA, Sterile EYE DROPS REDNESS LUBRICANT, STERILE EYE DROPS SOOTHING TEARS, and Artificial Tears Sterile Lubricant Eye Drops.
A complete list of the products, lot numbers and expiration dates, and what company or retailer sold the recalled drops can be found at the FDA’s website.
