FDA Warns Of Hazardous 'Herbal Eye Dropper'

Mr. Pathom Sawanpanyalert, M.D., Deputy Secretary-General of the FDA, said the agency has been alerted to the case of a 41 year old patient who resorted to a brand of such eye droppers called "Doctor Yom Thayai" to treat the left eye, which has reportedly been suffering eyesight problems for several years due to an accident.

 

The eye droppers were ostensibly made of beneficial herbal medicine, yet in 3-4 days the patient′s eye became swollen, reddened, and less capable of perceiving objects, Mr. Pathom said.

 

According to the official, the patient eventually sought help from doctors, who realised that the patient′s eye has been completely blinded due to severe infection and gangrene which has formed in the eyeball. The doctors were reportedly forced to remove the infected eyeball altogether. 

 

Lab results show that the eye droppers used by the patient contained Pseudomonas aeruginosa bacterium, which is known to cause serious infection to human eyes, Mr. Pathom added.

 

The "Doctor Yom Thayai" brand of eye droppers also claimed to treat a wide range of eye diseases, according to its package, yet it bore no registration number for the medication.

 

"We will locate the manufacturer of this medicine for legal prosecution," Mr. Pathom announced.

 

He added that the FDA would like to remind the public not to buy any traditional eye medicines that lack proper registration or credible distributor, as they could end up causing severe harms to the eyes.

 

"Consumers should only buy medicines which have been properly registered under the laws," Mr. Pathom said, "They should check if the label on the package".

 

Consumers who encounter any drugs which they suspect to be illegal manufactured are encouraged to contact the FDA at 1556 or [email protected].