Contact lens solution pulled from shelves

Dubai: A multi-purpose contact lens solution, which has been linked to a blindness-causing parasitic infection, has been withdrawn from the UAE market as part of a worldwide initiative.

Complete MoisturePlus Multi-Purpose contact lens solution, made by Advanced Medical Optics, has been linked to 138 confirmed cases in the United States of Acanthamoeba keratitis, an extremely rare but serious microbial infection.

Abu Dhabi-Health Authority banned the contact lens solution in the emirate on Wednesday. Representatives of the company in the UAE began withdrawing the solution voluntarily in the rest of the country on the same day.

Dr Mohammad Abu Al Khair, acting head of drugs ad medical products department in AD-HA, told Gulf News that they instituted the forced recall for the product "based on recommendations from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Centres of Disease Control (CDC)".

Refund

Ayman Ramzy, business manager for AMO in UAE and Qatar, told Gulf News that they instituted the voluntary recall for the rest of the UAE on orders from their head office.

"The company decided to withdraw the product worldwide. It is a voluntary recall," he said, adding that company has notified all pharmacists and the Health Ministry of the withdrawal.

He also said that consumers could also get a refund for unopened packages of the contact lens solution. "But only unopened bottles. They must go to the pharmacy where they purchased it from and do it by the end of June," he said.

Products not under ministry purview

Contact lens solutions and other similar products do not fall under the Health Ministry jurisdiction, although they may have an adverse impact on health, according to the official in charge.

Complete MoisturePlus Multi-Purpose contact lens solution, linked to a rare blindness-causing eye infection, was withdrawn voluntarily from the UAE on Wednesday by the company. The incident eerily mirrored a similar problem last year with Bausch and Lomb Renu MoistureLoc Multi-Purpose contact lens solution, which had been linked to Fusarium keratitis, another blindness-causing eye infection.

Municipal control

Dr Eisa Al Mansouri, director of the drug control department at the Ministry of Health, told Gulf News that his department could not issue a recall order on toiletry items as the products were also available in establishments licensed by the local authorities.

"The ministry only has control over pharmacies. Contact lens solutions are also sold at supermarkets and optical centres. These [establishments] are not controlled by the ministry. But if municipalities ask us to test, we will do it," he said.

He added that the licensing authority, such as municipalities for the supermarket and optical centres, was responsible for recall orders in the establishments.

That is shocking!!! My wife has been using this solution for the past few months.
Gautam
Dubai,UAE

I think the ministry has to conduct more research on whether the solution really does cause blindness. I wear contact lenses all the time and I use solutions to cleanse them.
Shethal
Dubai,UAE