- The FDA has warned consumers to avoid 26 eye drops and gels that could potentially cause blindness.
- Retailers including CVS, Rite Aid, and Target are pulling the products from shelves.
- The FDA said to seek medical care if you experience symptoms after using the products.
The FDA has warned consumers to immediately stop using and not buy 26 over-the-counter eye drops and gels that could potentially cause partial vision loss or blindness. Below is a list of all the products the FDA has told their manufacturer to recall.
Agency investigators found unsanitary conditions and bacteria where the products were made, according to a safety alert from the FDA published on Friday, and said they had the potential to cause infections that could result in blindness.
The FDA said on Friday that no adverse reactions had been flagged, but the products could pose "a potential heightened risk of harm" because drugs applied to the eyes bypass some of the body's natural defenses.
The products were marketed under the brands: Target Up&Up, CVS Health, Rite Aid, Leader (Cardinal Health), Rugby (Cardinal Health), and Velocity Pharma.
Those who have signs or symptoms of an eye infection after using these products should speak to a healthcare provider or seek medical care immediately, the alert said.
Eye drops and gels recalled by the FDA
CVS Health:
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Lubricant Eye Drops 15 ml (single pack)
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Lubricant Eye Drops 15 ml (twin pack)
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Lubricant Gel Drops 15 ml (single pack)
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Lubricant Gel Drops 15 ml (twin pack)
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Multi-Action Relief Drops 15 ml
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Lubricating Gel drops 10 ml
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Lubricant Eye Drops 10 ml (single pack)
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Lubricant Eye Drops 10 ml (twin pack)
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Mild Moderate Lubricating Eye Drops 15 ml (single pack)
Rugby (Cardinal Health):
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Lubricating Tears Eye Drops 15 ml
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Polyvinyl Alcohol 1.4% Lubricating Eye Drops 15 ml
Leader (Cardinal Health):
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Dry Eye Relief 10 ml
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Lubricant Eye Drops 15 ml (single pack)
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Lubricant Eye Drops 15 ml (twin pack)
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Dry Eye Relief 15 ml
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Eye Irritation Relief 15 ml
Rite Aid:
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Lubricant Eye Drops 15 ml (twin pack)
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Lubricant Eye Drops 10 ml (twin pack)
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Gentle Lubricant Gel Eye Drops 15 ml
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Lubricant Gel Drops 15 ml
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Lubricating Gel Drops 10 ml
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Multi-Action Relief Drops 15 ml
Target:
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Up&Up Dry Eye Relief Lubricant Eye Drops 30 ml
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Up&Up Extreme Relief Dry Eye 15 ml (single pack)
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Up&Up Extreme Relief Dry Eye 30 ml (twin pack)
Velocity Pharma:
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Lubricant Eye Drop 10 ml (triple pack)
CVS, Rite Aid, and Target are pulling the drugs from shelves
CVS, Rite Aid, and Target are removing the products from their shelves and websites after the FDA recommended all batches be recalled on October 25, the alert said.
Products branded as Leader, Rugby, and Velocity may still be available in stores and online, the alert said, but they should not be purchased.
A spokeswoman for Rite Aid said that "due to safety concerns identified by the FDA, we are removing the applicable Rite Aid branded products from our store shelves."
ACVS spokeswoman told Insider in an email: "We've immediately stopped the sale in-store and online of all products supplied by Velocity Pharma within the CVS Health Brand Eye Products portfolio," and customers can return those products for a full refund.
In a statement, Cardinal Health said: "Immediately upon being notified, we placed all identified impacted eye drop products in our inventory on hold and contacted Velocity Pharma, the supplier of the impacted eye drop products.
"We are in the process of working with Velocity Pharma and FDA to initiate a recall of all impacted Rugby Laboratories and Cardinal Health Leader branded eye drop products to further safeguard public health and safety."
Target and Velocity Pharma did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.
In February, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and FDA warned against two other eye drop products, EzriCare Artificial Tears eye drops and Delsam Pharma's Artificial Tears. The drugs were recalled over bacteria contamination, which was linked to four deaths and 14 cases of vision loss or eye removal.
