Amazon stops selling seven eye drops after warning from the FDA
Amazon said Wednesday it was removing seven eye drop products from its website after the Food and Drug Administration warned the company that the eye drops had not been recognized as safe and effective.
The FDA said in a letter to Amazon CEO Andrew Jassy on Monday that Amazon had violated federal regulations by selling the eye drops, which claimed to help with problems such as pink eye, dry eyes, eye strain and floaters.
“These products are particularly concerning from a public health perspective,” the FDA letter said. “Ophthalmic medicines, which are intended for administration into the eyes, generally pose a greater risk of harm to users because the route of administration for these products bypasses some of the body’s natural defense mechanisms.”
The eye drops mentioned in the letter are: Similasan Pink Eye Relief, The Goodbye Company Pink Eye, Can-C Eye Drops, Optique 1 Eye Drops, OcluMed Eye Drops, TRP Natural Eyes Floaters Relief and Manzanilla Sophia Chamomile Herbal Eye Drops.
None of the eye drops appeared to be available for purchase on Amazon Wednesday morning.
The company said in an emailed statement Wednesday that “safety is a top priority.”
“We require that all products offered in our store comply with applicable laws and regulations,” the statement said. “The products in question have been investigated and are currently being removed.”
The FDA said Amazon had 15 business days after receiving the letter to tell the agency what steps it had taken to address the violation and to ensure that Amazon does not sell unapproved new eye drugs in the future .
Dozens of eye drops have been pulled from shelves this year, either out of an abundance of caution, after regulators raised concerns about their production, or after consumers reported negative health effects from the products.
In late October, the FDA advised consumers to stop using more than two dozen over-the-counter eye drops due to a potential risk of eye infections that could lead to partial vision loss or blindness.
In January and February, two brands of eye drops were recalled after being linked to a drug-resistant strain of bacteria found to have caused at least four deaths and serious health problems in several others.
The unapproved eye drops sold on Amazon were not included in these recalls and warnings.
About 117 million Americans used eye drops and eyewash in 2020, according to Statistaa market research agency.
Eye drops are generally safe, according to experts, who recommend people talk to their ophthalmologist to get recommendations for safe products.