Newsday

Ore. Co. Recalls Eye Drops

WASHINGTON (AP) -- An Oregon company is recalling eye drops because of fears they may be contaminated with a bacteria that can cause severe eye injury, federal regulators said Friday.

Rich Distributing of Portland, Ore., made the drops, sold under the name Rich's MSM Eye & Ear Drops. There were no immediate reports of injuries, the Food and Drug Administration said.

The product was sold in 1-ounce containers over the Internet and at retail locations nationwide. Company spokesman John Rich said slightly more than 100 bottles are in circulation, and customers can return them to the company for a full refund.

An FDA analysis found the drops could be contaminated with yeast and Pseudomonas fluorescens, bacteria that in some cases can cause sight-threatening injury. The FDA urges people who have used the product to contact their physicians.

For more information, consumers can call the FDA consumer information line at 888-463-6332.

AP-NY-08-11-00 2113EDT< 

-- Rachel Gibson (rgibson@hotmail.com), August 11, 2000