Contamination risk in fake contact lenses

Over half of counterfeit contact lenses examined by the Forensic Chemistry Center of the US Food & Drug Administration (US FDA) tested positive for microbial contamination.

More than 300 decorative and noncorrective CLs were obtained without prescription by the US FDA. Results, published in the Journal of Forensic Science, showed 60% of the counterfeit lenses and 27% of the unapproved lenses were positive for microbial contamination.

Twenty-nine different brands of non-corrective contact lenses were examined, and 48% of them had at least one sample positive for microbial contamination.

‘These results support the contention that acquiring contact lenses without a prescription is a considerable threat to consumer health and safety,’ the report’s authors concluded.