Walmart and CVS Eye Ointment Recall Issued Over Infection Risks

Lubricant eye ointment products sold by major retailers, including Walmart and CVS, have been recalled due to a risk that they could cause infections and vision loss.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced the lubricant eye ointment recall on February 22, after discovering a potential lack of sterility in the products.

The recall comes after a routine inspection by the FDA of the manufacturing facility, where they observed a lack of sterility assurance. Failure to ensure sterility in eye ointment products can potentially pose an increased risk to consumers, because the ointments bypass the body’s natural defenses when applied to the eyes.

Eye Drop Contamination Risks

The findings come amid increased concerns about the sterility and safety of various eye care products, following a massive Artificial Tears recall announced in February 2023, due to the presence of Pseudomonas aeruginosa; a bacterial contaminant that is resistant to antibiotics, and can cause serious eye infections that can lead to irreversible blindness, death and the need for surgical eye removal.

Since that recall, consumers have been warned about more than two dozen different over-the-counter eye drop products sold under several known brand names, including CVS, Target, and Rite Aid. According to a recent report by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the recalled Artificial Tears eye drops have been linked to 81 cases of bacterial contamination, including multiple reports of vision loss, four reports of consumers requiring removal of an eyeball, and four reports of deaths.

The contamination problems have led to a number of Artificial Tears lawsuits, alleging that bacteria in the eye drops caused a wide range of health problems. However, no infection incidents or Pseudomonas aeruginosa contamination have been linked to these latest recalled CVS and Walmart eye ointment products.

Lubricant Eye Ointment Recall

This latest recall impacts 25 lots of eye ointment products produced for Brassica Pharma Pvt. Ltd., which were then supplied to several distributors and sold under different brand names, including Equate Lubricant Eye Ointment, Equate Style Lubricant Eye Ointment, CVS Health Lubricant Eye Ointment, and Lubricant PM Ointment. Equate is Walmart’s in-house generic brand.

The affected products were sold in 3.5 gram tubes in a cardboard box nationwide through distributors such as Walmart, CVA, and AACE Pharmaceuticals Inc. They carried expiration dates ranging from February 2024 to September 2025. A full list of affected products and UPC codes are listed in the recall notice linked above.

To avoid a risk of serious eye injury, consumers are being warned to immediately stop use of the recalled eye ointment and return the products to the place of purchase. The FDA and the manufacturers are calling for distributors to immediately stop sale of these products and to return them to their distributors.

Those with questions regarding this recall can contact Brassica Pharma Pvt. Ltd. at +1 833-225-9564 or info@brassicapharma.com. Consumers should contact their physician or healthcare provider if they have experienced any problems that may be related to taking or using this drug product.

Consumers and healthcare professionals are urged to report any adverse events linked to the recalled eye ointment products to the FDA’s MedWatch Adverse Event Reporting program.