HSA raises alert on counterfeit ‘Eye Mo’ eye drops
Features of counterfeit Eye Mo products. Source: HSA
SINGAPORE — The Health Sciences Authority (HSA), for the first time, has sounded an alert on counterfeit eye drops sold in two shops in Singapore.
The counterfeit eye drops, fraudulently labelled as GlaxoSmithKline’s (GSK) “Eye Mo Regular” (7.5 Ml) and “Eye Mo Moist” Eye Drops (7.5ml), were of poor quality with bacterial contamination, said the HSA.
The two shops that sold them are Eskimo Frozen Foods, located at 36 Chai Chee Avenue, and H J Ventures, located at 150A Bishan Street 11.
“Counterfeit eye drops can cause serious harm to users as they are administered directly on the eyes. In this case, the eye drops were contaminated with bacteria, which can cause eye infections and potentially lead to serious complications such as corneal ulcers (open sores in the outer layer of the eye) and blindness,” the HSA said in a press release on Tuesday (March 1).
It warned of a higher risk of infection if the consumer has had recent ocular surgery or has pre-existing diseases, such as diabetes mellitus.
The HSA advised consumers who may have bought these counterfeits to discard them immediately, and consult a doctor if they experience any adverse reactions such as severe eye irritation, redness, blurred vision, pain, light sensitivity or unusual discomfort after using the eye drops.
The HSA said it was first alerted to the sale of counterfeit eye drops at a provision shop last last year. The HSA seized the products, which GSK later confirmed as counterfeits. The HSA then conducted island-wide surveillance and seized similar counterfeit eye drops from another shop.
The counterfeit products were found in pack size of 7.5 ml only while the genuine Eye Mo products were available in pack sizes of 7.5 ml, 9 ml, 15 ml and 18 ml.
The counterfeits were also printed with the following batch numbers and manufacturing date combinations on their bottles and cartons. These combinations have never been used by GSK:
Combination 1 (Eye Mo Regular) : Batch Number: 15106160, Manufacturing Date: 06/03/15
Combination 2 (Eye Mo Regular) : Batch Number: 15025028, Manufacturing Date: 18/03/15
Combination 3 (Eye Mo Moist) : Batch Number: 15004105, Manufacturing Date: 30/04/15
Further investigations are underway.
The HSA has advised consumers to check the batch number and manufacturing date combinations on the bottles and cartons for these products, and contact GSK at sg.customer-relations [at] gsk.com or 1-800 622 7238 if they believe they may have purchased counterfeit Eye Mo products.
Any person found to be selling or distributing counterfeit health products is liable to a penalty of S$100,000 and/or a jail term of up to three years if convicted.
