ReNu with MoistureLoc still on sale on UK high street

ReNu with MoistureLoc could still be purchased on the UK high street yesterday, more than three weeks after manufacturer Bausch & Lomb announced a worldwide product recall.

Optician visited eight retail outlets in Sutton, Surrey, to assess the effectiveness of the product recall. These included Asda, two independent chemists, three optical practices, Superdrug and Boots the Chemists.

All but the Boots outlet had removed MoistureLoc from their shelves. On Wednesday morning, Optician successfully purchased a 2 x 360ml economy pack from a healthcare assistant at the pharmacy counter.

A spokesman for Boots said its data showed it had been on the whole very successful in withdrawing the stock from sale and in helping customers find alternatives. ‘There have been extremely few cases of stock still being available and in this highlighted case we have been in touch with the store to find out what happened and to ensure they are aware of the issue.’

Anecdotal evidence of people still using the multipurpose ‘no rub’ solution raised fears that the message regarding the potential dangers of using the product had not reached all patients.

Roger Oldham, a website director from south-east London, told Optician he was still using the ReNu with MoistureLoc solution earlier this week, having purchased his last batch of solutions in early May.

He was concerned that his optician had not contacted him to tell him of the product recall and warn him of the dangers. Few practices, however, monitor the solutions sold to or used by their patients.

Bausch & Lomb told Optician that on May 18 it had placed a withdrawal advert in the following newspapers: The Independent, the Scotsman, the Irish Times, Metro and the Daily Express. Editorial featured in the Daily Mail, Daily Telegraph, The Times, Metro, Financial Times, Irish Times, Irish Independent, Wall Street Journal and BBC Online.

Last week (News, June 2) the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) issued a Medical Device Alert to NHS trusts and PCTs in England, urging action by ophthalmologists, pharmacists, opticians, optometrists or GPs. It recommended that patients should be asked which contact lens solution they use at their next appointment but did not suggest that potential users of the solution should be contacted.

A spokesman for Bausch & Lomb said: ‘Bausch & Lomb contacted all of our customers from the moment we made the decision to withdraw MoistureLoc from worldwide markets. We asked our customers to immediately remove any MoistureLoc product from their shelves and replace it with an alternative solution.

‘We are maintaining an increased level of communication with our customers to ensure that any remaining MoistureLoc product is removed from stores while we increase supplies of Multi-Purpose solution to our customers.’