Susan Gromacki has been referring to the use of tap water with (R)GP lenses in her columns in Contact Lenses Today recently. Although the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) contraindicates the practice of using tap water in (R)GP lens care on its website, 15 out of 18 (R)GP lens solutions still allow a tap water rinse as part of their labelled instructions, according to Gromacki. She sought to clarify FDA's perspective, and in a response from the FDA it was stated that: "As noted at the 2014 Panel meeting, there has historically been under-reporting of adverse events of keratitis in rigid gas permeable contact lenses after rinsing with or storing in tap water. When this issue was again raised at the 2014 meeting, it was determined that overwhelming data does not exist at this time to mandate changes. However, while relatively rare, we believe consumers should be made aware of the possibility of infection associated with water; hence, the reason we recommend not exposing contact lenses to water. In the interim, we continue to work with lens manufacturers with respect to developing an alternative to water." See link below for access to the columns mentioned.

Gromacki - Contact Lens Today - Aug 3, 2014