Two More Eye Drop Brands Recalled

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Two More Eye Drop Brands Recalled

In what seems to have become a monthly story, US health officials have alerted consumers about two more recalls on eye drops. This announcement follows another one I covered in January regarding drops made in India that have been linked to an outbreak of heavily drug-resistant infections. At least one person has died, and five others have experienced permanent vision loss from those drops.

These latest recalls from the FDA are for eye drops distributed by Pharmedica and Apotex, after both companies said they were voluntarily removing several of the products from the market. Pharmedica noted that it is recalling two lots of Purely Soothing 15% MSM drops due to problems “that could result in blindness.” This recall has been reported to affect nearly 2,900 bottles, which were manufactured in Arizona.

In early March, Apotex recalled six lots of its prescription eye drops used to treat a form of glaucoma after cracks were found in several bottle caps. These drops, manufactured in Canada, are distributed as brimonidine tartrate ophthalmic solution 0.15% and were sold between April 2022 and February 2023.

My Two Cents

There is a lot to unpack here. First, I had to research what MSM drops are. Interestingly, these sulfur-based drops are marketed across the Internet as a natural antiinflammatory drop to be used as an alternative to steroid eye drops. Personally, I’ve never recommended drops containing this ingredient, and it doesn’t look like I’m going to start anytime soon.

In recalling its brimonidine drop, Apotex appears to be simply addressing a manufacturing defect in the bottling process and proceeding with an abundance of caution.

As similar stories continue to emerge, it’s essential that we, as eye care practitioners, partner with and recommend products from reputable sources. Artificial tears, in particular, are readily available in a vast number of options for our patients to access. I find no reason to go outside the larger companies when recommending drops for my patients. Too much can go wrong in the manufacturing processes of lesser-known companies!

CAN YOU RELATE

As I previously mentioned, I attended the SECO meeting in Atlanta last week. It was, as always, a wonderful social experience, with plenty of continuing education taught by our incredible colleagues. One major highlight of the conference for me was the lecture by neurologist Andrew Lee, MD. The only lowlight was the keynote session, “Remote Eyecare: Virtual Reality or Virtual Certainty?” which was billed as a debate on the pros and cons of remote eye care. In my opinion, it was nothing more than an infomercial about the positive attributes of teleoptometry. In fact, my entire table of doctors in the “education” session jokingly predicted that it was going to be an infomercial when, at the beginning of the talk, a large corporate donor was acknowledged for its support in the presentation. The table's prediction didn't seem to be too far off, and I ended up leaving the lecture early out of frustration, because I had yet to gather any information of substance.

I understand that companies with an interest in the content being discussed are more likely to provide support for such special sessions; however, I respectfully ask that in the future, meeting organizers recognize the need for fair balance and appropriate representation of all viewpoints, particularly in a debate format. The panelists of this session were a senior VP of an eye wear company, the president and founder of a teleoptometry company, and two optometrists who practice remote eye care. Hardly a two-sided affair.

OUTSIDE THE LANE

Be Wary of Water

A man in southwest Florida died recently after becoming infected with a rare, brain-eating amoeba, which officials say was “possibly a result of sinus rinse practices utilizing tap water.” The state department of health in Charlotte County confirmed that the unidentified man died of Naegleria fowleri. This single-celled amoeba lives in fresh waters, and once ingested through the nose, can cause an extremely rare, but nearly always fatal brain infection known as primary amebic meningoencephalitis (PAM).

The CDC has noted 157 PAM infections in the United States between 1962 and 2022, with only four known survivors. It is not believed that any cases have ever been reported in February or March, as the infections are most common in southern states during the warmer months.

My Two Cents

Naegleria fowleri infection can only happen when water contaminated with the amoeba enters the body through the nose. (Thus, one cannot become infected by drinking tap water.) Although Naegleria fowleri isn’t likely to affect our contact lens patients like other well-known amoebas can, this story is a reminder of how delicate the human system can be. We must warn our patients that taking risks with their health is simply not worth it and encourage them to keep good hygiene practices!

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

“Fairness is one of the most significant traits in wisdom. The fairer you are, the wiser you become”

—Pearl Zhu, author