Talk about a sight for sore eyes.
A California drugmaker is pulling more than three million bottles of eye drops from the shelves of major pharmacy chains and grocery stores nationwide over potential safety concerns.
The FDA announced this week that K.C. Pharmaceuticals, Inc. voluntarily recalled the products and is urging consumers to stop using the affected bottles immediately.
The recall stems from a “lack of assurance of sterility,” meaning the drops could potentially harbor infection-causing microbes from the manufacturing process.
The agency classified it as a “Class II” recall, which means exposure could lead to temporary or medically reversible health issues.
So far, no confirmed contamination has been reported.
The recall covers a wide range of eye drop formulas, including:
- Artificial Tears
- Sterile Lubricant Eye Drops
- Advanced Relief Eye Drops
- Dry Eye Relief Eye Drops
- Redness Lubricant Eye Drops
- Ultra Lubricating Eye Drops
- Soothing Tears
The products were sold under a variety of packaging and store-brand labels at major pharmacy chains, including Walgreens, CVS Health, Rite Aid, Good Neighbor Pharmacy and Discount Drug Mart.
They were also distributed through grocery giants like Kroger, H-E-B, Publix, Meijer and Harris Teeter, as well as retailers such as Dollar General, Circle K and others.
In many cases, the eye drops were sold as store brands or under names like Best Choice, QC-Quality Choice, Discount Drug Mart and Good Sense.
The FDA is urging consumers to check labels, lot numbers and expiration dates to see if they may have purchased any of the recalled products.
The agency flagged codes beginning with AC, AR, LT, SU, RG, RL, SY or AT as potentially affected. Most of the recalled bottles expire in May 2026 or October 2026.
The full list of retailers, brands, UPCs and lot numbers included in the recall can be found here.
Adverse events related to the recalled eye drops can be reported here.
The announcement is the latest in a string of eye drop recalls in recent years.
In 2025, BRS Analytical Services recalled more than 76,000 cases, citing sterility issues and deviations in the manufacturing process.
A year earlier, Alcon Laboratories voluntarily recalled several lots of its Systane Lubricant Eye Drops Ultra P-F due to fungal contamination.
And in 2023, Kilitch Healthcare India Limited pulled more than two dozen eye drop brands sold at major retailers nationwide after a report detailed a slew of “insanitary conditions” at a factory in India, including employees “working barefoot.”
