The US Center for Devices and Radiological Health has recommended that multipurpose solution (MPS) manufacturers remove the 'no rub' phrase from product labelling and emphasise 'rubbing and rinsing'.
The August 15 Guidance for Industry and Food and Drug Administration Staff, based on FDA recommendations from June 2008, also pointed out that the rub and rinse step resulted in greater reduction in microbes. The 'nonbinding recommendations' also suggested that the directions include a rinse step before placing the lenses on the eye and that this direction appear on the bottle for easy reference, as well as considering including reasonable rinse times.
It also recommended that MPS products be for cleaning, disinfecting, storing and rinsing only and that 'a contact lens solution that cannot perform all the functions indicated in the labelling should not be labelled as a multi-purpose contact lens care solution'.
A further recommendation is that MPSs not be labelled as 'All-in-one', since lubricating and re-wetting drops or enzyme treatments used for complete lens care are not functions of a MPS, it added.
Howard Griffiths, technical director at Sauflon Pharmaceuticals said the guidance was 'only that' and was not enforceable outside the US, adding that the main thrust of the advice focused on the increasing popularity of silicone hydrogel lenses.
'As far as impact on Sauflon in the UK market, I can say that unlike our competitors, Sauflon has not been an advocate of the "No Rub" approach for MPS products, so there is no impact on Sauflon. This guidance mainly relates to FDA-approved US marketed product labelling,' he said.
The document also suggested that manufacturers place a photo of an infected eye in the section of the label that warns about the potential for infections, to warn how serious a red eye can become.
The document recommended better readability of warnings for people who develop eye infections while wearing contact lenses and that labelling advise users with infections to take their lenses, solutions and lens cases to their practitioner for culturing.