EzriCare lawsuit claims artificial tears sold at Walgreens caused eye infection

EzriCare lawsuit overview:

• Who: Tabitha Starling filed a lawsuit against EzriCare LLC, EzriRx LLC, Global Pharma Healthcare Private Ltd., Walgreen Co. and Walgreens Boots Alliance Inc.
• Why: Starling claims the companies broadly manufactured, imported, sold, marketed, labeled and distributed artificial tears contaminated with a drug-resistant bacteria.
• Where: The Walgreens lawsuit was filed in a New Jersey federal court.

A new class action lawsuit alleges that EzriCare artificial tear eye drops sold at Walgreens were contaminated with a drug-resistant bacteria that caused a woman to suffer a serious eye infection. 

Plaintiff Tabitha Starling’s lawsuit claims she suffered a serious infection after using EzriCare’s artificial tears, which she argues was contaminated with a rare, extensively drug-resistant strain of Pseudomonas aeruginosa bacteria.

Starling argues the EzriCare artificial tears were able to be contaminated with the bacteria due to violations of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) Current Good Manufacturing Processes, including a lack of appropriate microbial testing, formulation issues and lack of proper controls concerning tamper-evident packaging.

“These violations, along with the presence of this rare and, in some cases, deadly, bacteria pose a significant and severe health risk to consumers, such as Plaintiff, who purchased and used Defendants’ Product,” the Walgreens lawsuit claims. 

EzriCare artificial tears linked to drug-resistant bacteria, suit says

The FDA issued a statement in February 2023 warning consumers and health care practitioners not to purchase and to stop using EzriCare artificial tears after they were linked to bacterial contamination, the Walgreens lawsuit says. 

Starling claims she suffered vision loss, pronounced corneal scarring and a serious pseudomonas corneal ulcer in her left eye, and continues to suffer from serious and potentially permanent injury to her eyes and vision as a result of using the EzriCare artificial tears.

She claims EzriCare, EzriRx, Global Pharma Healthcare Private, Walgreen and Walgreens Boots Alliance are guilty of strict product liability, negligence, fraud, breach of implied warranty, negligent failure to timely recall and violating the New Jersey Consumer Fraud Act.

The plaintiff demands a jury trial and requests declaratory and injunctive relief and an award of compensatory and punitive damages.

A consumer filed a class action lawsuit against EzriCare and Walmart Inc. last year over claims the latter sold EzriCare artificial tears contaminated with a drug-resistant bacteria. 

Have you purchased EzriCare artificial tears? Let us know in the comments.

The plaintiff is represented by Joshua M. Neuman of Pogust Goodhead LLC.

The EzriCare lawsuit is Starling v. EzriCare LLC, et al., Case No. 3:25-cv-00881, in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey.

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