Corporate PR can be a lot like ketchup; almost anything would
taste good after being smothered in it.
The Health Ministry of Singapore has reported several cases of a
corneal fungus since November 2004. What those affected had in
common was their usage of Bausch & Lomb’s ReNu with
MoistureLoc Multi-Purpose Solution for contact lenses.
In the U.S., 17 states are investigating 109 cases of the fungus
that might be linked to the solution. Eight of those reported cases
needed corneal transplants.
Fungal keratitis infections can cause eyes to swell, itch and
emit discharge; significantly blurred vision has also been
reported. More alarming than the actual disease is the gap between
the fungus’ official discovery and its removal from American
shelves.
We should have been informed immediately after the Health
Ministry of Singapore issued its report, but since the product was
not wreaking any serious damage in the Land of the Free, the boys
at B&L apparently waited until 109 cases had been reported in
17 states to take some action.
Comatose sloths could have worked faster. In November 2004, the
fungus was seen in Asia. June 2005 saw cases reported in the U.S.,
and, finally, the removal of the product from shelves came last
month. More than a year jogged by before the news in Asia had any
significant effect here.
B&L claimed that since the product in Asia was manufactured
in a different plant, the location had to be taken into account
before jumping to the conclusion that the fungus was also on the
loose in the U.S.
But considering the time lag and the extent of the problem in
Asia, there’s no reason that B&L couldn’t have
looked into its other plants to see if the same health problems
could arise elsewhere.
While B&L may have released a smattering of announcements
about this product to the American public, it never owned up to its
possibly shoddy quality. Apparently corporate politics center on
class action lawsuits and insider trading charges, and stock values
play the prima donna to concern for the consumer.
The truth is that even if most contact lens users are all too
familiar with the bright blue bottle of ReNu solution, they are not
as well-acquainted with its recently discovered “side”
effects. B&L has very recently started taking responsibility
for its product and has even mentioned the problem on its Web site.
The key word here is “mention.” A visit to Bausch.com
can leave one cringing for days at the sharp taste of ketchup.
Ron Zarella, CEO of B&L, claims that the corporation has
been doing everything in its power to inform the public. Of course,
this includes his extensive letter on the company’s Web site,
available to all those who peruse it as recreational reading.
I’ve been using ReNu for years and I have never once been
remotely inclined to read its Web site.
I seriously doubt many others have, either. A commercial during
a popular TV show, a bulletin distributed to optometrists, or even
a notice at grocery stores and pharmacies would have been helpful,
as long as it followed a straightforward affirmation of the
relationship between the product and the fungus.
Zarella’s statement that “nothing has yet been found
to show that ReNu with MoistureLoc contributed to these infections
in any way” is not useful information but rather seems more
like a meaningless public relations attempt. Why is it so ludicrous
to accept the malfunction of a product?
At least three separate governments (including Hong Kong) and
scores of people in the U.S. indicate that MoistureLoc has serious
issues. No great service is rendered when B&L engages in
providing its clients with correct information about the apparent
negative effects of its product; it is the basic responsibility of
the company to do so, especially when the health of its clients is
at risk.
The fact looming before us today is that B&L has at least
two strikes on its record. It waited an eon and more to issue a
press release (which, like the letter, was barely conclusive), then
adopted a lackadaisical, cutting-the-corners sort of approach to
informing its clients, without ever clearly confessing to us. Be
like a lens, B&L ““ completely transparent and beneficial
to the people.