Another eye drop recall removes 27 products from CVS, Rite Aid, Target and Walmart shelves after an FDA warning.

Another eye drop recall involves the removal of 27 products from store shelves, including brand-name products sold at retailers such as CVS, Rite Aid, Target and Walmart, with the recall coming about three weeks after the Food and Drug Administration the United States. warned people not to buy or use eye drops.

Kilitch Healthcare India is recalling eye drops with expiration dates from November 2023 to September 2025, citing “potential safety concerns after FDA investigators discovered unsanitary conditions,” according to a press release issued Wednesday by the agency. You can see the full list of recalled eye drops here.

The FDA cited a “risk of eye infections that could lead to partial loss of vision or blindness” in recommending against use of these products in late October, with the agency saying its investigators found unsanitary conditions and “results of positive bacterial tests” in areas of an unidentified manufacturing plant.

Some eye drops may have already been removed from storesAs earlier this month, the FDA said CVS, Rite Aid and Target were removing the products from their shelves and websites.

The recall notice stated that distributors and retailers with any of the recalled products should stop distributing them. Consumers, meanwhile, should stop using the recalled eye drops and return the products to where they purchased them, the FDA said.

Unsanitary conditions

Bloomberg News reported that Kilitch produced the eye drops in an unsanitary factory in India, where some workers walked barefoot and others fabricated test results purporting to show the products were sterile.

The FDA warning prompted Cardinal Health in early November to recall six Leader brand eye products, while Harvard Drug Group recalled Rugby Laboratories brand eye drops.

The FDA announced a series of eye drop product recalls earlier this year. linked to four deaths and several cases of vision loss. In August, he warned against using two additional eye drop products due to the risk of bacterial or fungal contamination.

Eye drop products, which must be sterile to be safe, require “much finer oversight on the manufacturing side to ensure there is no contamination,” said Carri Chan, a business professor at the Columbia University, to CBS MoneyWatch last week. reference to the wave of recalls.

The FDA maintains a current list of eye drop products that consumers should throw away. Users can also check an eye drop manufacturer’s website to check if a product has been recalled.

Dr. Christopher Starr, a spokesperson for the American Academy of Ophthalmology, said people should seek immediate medical attention if they experience adverse reactions to their eye drops, told CBS MoneyWatch. Signs of an infection usually include discharge, redness, or pain. Consumers should also check a product’s expiration date before using it.

—Elizabeth Napolitano contributed to this report.