A Florida woman is seeking monetary damages and a class-action lawsuit after buying unapproved eye drops from Walgreens, according to court documents filed Sept. 20.
The plaintiff, Mandy Wells, accused Walgreens of falsely advertising Pink Eye Drops, a brand product from the national drugstore that is labeled as "sterile," "homeopathic," and able to relieve "redness, burning, watery discharge & sensation of grittiness" with "no harsh vasoconstrictors," the lawsuit says.
In mid-September, the FDA sent warning letters to Walgreens and seven other companies concerning unapproved eye drop products, including Walgreens' Pink Eye Drops, which can cause the eye and other areas of the skin to turn gray over time because of silver sulfate.
The eye drops were ineffective in treating Ms. Wells' symptoms of "redness, burning, watery discharge and the sensation of grittiness" in her eyes, according to the lawsuit that seeks to broaden into a class-action suit.
When Becker's asked for Walgreens' response to the allegations, a spokesperson said, "Out of an abundance of caution, we are pulling these products. Customers who have purchased these products can return the item to their nearest Walgreens for a full refund."