FDA Warning — Remove These From Your Louisiana Medicine Cabinet

The FDA has issued a warning to the public regarding the purchase and use of three brands of counterfeit eye drops that are contaminated, posing a risk of potential eye infections.

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Avoid Using These Products:

The FDA strongly advises against buying or using South Moon, Rebright, and FivFivGo eye drops, as these brands are not approved for treating eye redness and could be easily confused with Bausch + Lomb's Lumify drops. They claim to treat eye conditions like glaucoma, which typically require prescription medications or surgical interventions.

Traces of Dangerous Bacteria

In their testing, the FDA discovered that South Moon samples were contaminated with the Burkholderia cepacia complex, a group of bacteria that could potentially lead to antibiotic-resistant infections.

Rebright did not show contamination, but both South Moon and Rebright lacked brimonidine tartrate, the active ingredient found in FDA-approved Lumify drops. Unfortunately, the FDA couldn't obtain samples of FivFivGo.

FDA Cautions Consumers

The origin of these unapproved products is still under investigation by the FDA. If individuals experience symptoms of an eye infection after using these counterfeit eye drops, the FDA recommends seeking medical care. Additionally, the FDA cautions consumers to exercise caution when purchasing eye products online and to opt for drops from licensed pharmacies.

In a previous warning last November, the FDA had advised against using 26 eye drop products from various major brands due to the risk of eye infections that could lead to vision loss or blindness.

In February 2023, the FDA expanded its advisory regarding certain eye products, suggesting that some could potentially lead to hospitalization or blindness.