HUNDREDS of customers in Northern Ireland have been impacted after multiple contact lens solutions, eye wash and eye lubricants have been voluntarily recalled after a manufacturing sterilisation compliance breach was identified.
Eye care products from brands including ReNu, Boston, BioTrue, EasySept, Boots and Specsavers are all subject to the recall, which applies across the world.
Parent company Bausch + Lomb has taken the decision because it said it cannot confirm its bottle supplier’s conformance to its sterilisation process compliance requirements.
This essentially means it doesn’t know whether some parts of the bottles have been put through the proper sterilisation process.
The company said the risk of infection with these products is low, and that so far no serious adverse reactions have been recorded as a result.
Customers have been contacted and offered a full refund if they've purchased any of the 13 products named in the recall, which is being conducted across Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Russia, Hong Kong and China.
One affected customer told the Irish News: "I've worn gas-permeable contact lenses for more than 30 years and have only ever used Bausch + Lomb solutions, because they are acknowledged as the best.
"After receiving a recall letter, I called at Boots in Banbridge and was able to get a full refund on the soaking and washing solutions I use.
"But because of B+L's dominance of the global market for GP lenses solutions, there's simply nothing available right now as an alternative, and that is presenting huge problems for me and I'm sure many others, because I'm now left to soak my lenses overnight in just water."
Wayne Watson at Specsavers Banbridge said he has already ordered an alternative GP cleaner and conditioner, which he hopes will be at his store middle of next week.
