WALB Investigates: Recalled eye drops found on store shelves in Albany

ALBANY, Ga. (WALB) - WALB Investigates is working to learn why over-the-counter eye drops, recalled by the FDA because they could cause serious health problems, are still on some store shelves in South Georgia.

Dozens of over-the-counter eye drops were recalled in October because of possible bacterial contamination that could cause infection or even worse, blindness. WALB Investigator Heidi Paxson visited a couple of area stores and found some of the products had not been removed from store shelves.

“To be honest with you and I got that FDA notification and started scrolling through the drops that were involved, I run a specialty dry eye clinic,” said Dr. Jodie Norman with South Georgia/North Florida Eye Partners. “These are shops in town here that my patients could be going in and picking up off the shelf that they might have in their homes right now.”

At an Albany CVS, our team tried to buy a recalled product. When checking out, a notification popped up on the self-checkout machine, telling us to remove the item. We weren’t able to complete check out, but there was no further explanation, and no heads-up that there’s a recall.

Target did not have the recalled products on the shelf — but they did have similar drops that were hard to distinguish from the recalled ones.

We reached out to CVS representatives who said “Upon receiving notification by the FDA, 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. Customers who purchased these products can return them to CVS Pharmacy for a full refund. We’re committed to ensuring the products we offer are safe, work as intended and satisfy customers, and are fully cooperating with the FDA on this matter.”

Sometimes, a recall might seem like a one-in-a-billion chance of impacting you, but as Dr. Norman explains, there can be serious ramifications.

“As we found out with the previous contaminated recalled drops that caused, you know, severe injury blindness, even death, and so, you know, I think it’s very important to #1, have a health care provider that you can trust and make sure that you’re using the right product for the right condition to begin with and get a specific recommendation.”

And if you’re questioning some of the products in your medicine cabinet, Norman said to throw it out.

“My advice is to throw it all away. So I think that that’s important with any prescription drug cabinet, or any area that we have in our home that maybe has medication, eye drops, things like that, that it’s really important to take things as prescribed, discard any unused medication,” Norman said.

26 products are involved in this recall. The FDA made the recommendation after agency investigators found insanitary conditions in the manufacturing facility and positive bacterial test results from environmental sampling of critical drug production areas in the facility.

“So I definitely have taken this much more seriously than I have in months or years prior, because I know these drops are likely circulating in our community and amongst our patients,” Norman said.

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FDA RECALL LIST (11/10/23)

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