Eye Drop Recalls: Is Your Medicine Cabinet Safe?

Defective eye drops can quietly make chronic conditions worse. Bottles contaminated with bacteria, or manufactured without sterility assurance, can turn an everyday relief medication into the source of irritation, infection, or lasting damage to the ocular surface.

Over the past several years, over-the-counter eye drops and ophthalmic gels have been recalled across major retailers and regional grocery chains for reasons that range from potential bacterial contamination to manufacturing quality lapses. Affected products often sit on shelves under generic store-brand names that consumers don't recognize as risky.

If you use eye drops regularly, especially for Dry Eye Disease or post-surgical care, it's worth cross-referencing what's in your medicine cabinet against current safety data.

Recent Recalls at a Glance

A non-exhaustive timeline of major OTC eye drop and ophthalmic gel recalls since 2023.

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Lupin Pharmaceuticals (July 2026)

Products: Prednisolone Acetate Ophthalmic Suspension, USP, 1% (5 mL, 10 mL, 15 mL)

Retailers: Nationwide, prescription only

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K.C. Pharmaceuticals (March/April 2026)

Products: Best Choice, Quality Choice, GoodSense, CareOne, Equaline, TopCare, Health Leader, Foster & Thrive, Rugby

Retailers: CVS, Walgreens, Target, Rite Aid, Kroger, H-E-B, Meijer

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BRS Analytical / AvKARE (May 2025)

Products: Artificial Tears, Carboxymethylcellulose Sodium Ophthalmic Gel 1%, Carboxymethylcellulose Sodium Ophthalmic Solution, Lubricant Eye Drops, Polyvinyl Alcohol Ophthalmic Solution

Retailers: Various distributors

Allergan (September 2024)

Products: Refresh P.M., Lacri-Lube

Retailers: Nationwide

Brassica Pharma (February 2024)

Products: Equate, Up & Up

Retailers: Walmart, Target, CVS

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Kilitch Healthcare India (27 store brands) (November 2023)

Products: Rugby, Leader, CVS, Rite Aid, Target, and Walmart store brands

Retailers: CVS, Rite Aid, Target

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Dr. Berne's MSM Drops (August 2023)

Products: All

Retailers: Online

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LightEyez MSM Drops (August 2023)

Products: All

Retailers: Online

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Apotex (March 2023)

Products: Brimonidine Tartrate Solution (0.15%)

Retailers: Pharmacies nationwide

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Global Pharma (February 2023)

Products: EzriCare, Delsam Pharma

Retailers: Amazon, Walmart, Online

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Clear Eyes (February 2023)

Products: Once Daily Relief

Retailers: Nationwide

The Lupin Pharmaceuticals 2026 Recall

In July 2026, Lupin Pharmaceuticals voluntarily recalled over 2 million bottles of steroid eye drops due to the discovery of a "foreign substance." These are generic eyedrops often prescribed to patients after surgery or to treat irritative conditions in the eye.

How to Check Your Bottles

Three things must match for a bottle to be part of the recall:

1. NDC or UPC code. Printed on the front or bottom of the medication box from the pharmacy. This identifies the product family.
2. Lot prefix. Printed on the bottom of the box and on each eye-dropper bottle label. Look for a 4-character code starting with LT, AT, RG, AC, RL, AR, SY, or SU.
3. Expiration date. Also printed on the box and each bottle. Must match one of the listed dates exactly.

If all three attributes match, stop using the drops immediately. You can return the bottle to your retailer for a full refund.

Use the checker below to look up your product by NDC code, UPC code, brand, or retailer.

What to Do If Your Drops Are Affected

• Stop use immediately. Do not finish the bottle.
• Return it to the retailer where it was purchased for a full refund — no receipt is required for FDA-mandated recalls.
• If you've experienced any symptoms (irritation, redness, pain, blurred vision, discharge), contact your eye care provider.
• Report adverse events to the FDA's MedWatch program at fda.gov/medwatch.

Proper bottle hygiene between uses is one of the most effective ways to reduce contamination risk regardless of manufacturer. Visit our other articles to learn more about how to keep your drops safe.