IF YOU HAVE NOT SEEN THE RECENT ANNOUNCEMENT from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), there are another set of counterfeit drops that have hit the (black) market (fda.gov/drugs/drug-safety-and-availability/fda-warns-consumers-contaminated-copycat-eye-drops). This time, the counterfeiters are targeting an FDA-approved redness relief eye drop, and the the packaging of their product looks very similar to that of the approved drops.

Read online consumer blogs, and you will see posts critical of the FDA (“Isn’t the FDA supposed to test the safety and efficacy of foods and drugs?”). Well, yes. There are many regulatory steps involved in getting both over-the-counter and prescription drugs and medical devices approved or cleared and on the market. That is not the problem. The problem is the “global economy” facilitated by the World Wide Web and the ability of what are usually foreign entities seeking to make a quick buck in selling counterfeit products. This leads to the dissemination of fake news—misinformation and disinformation—and information disorders.

Sometimes these information bites are just obvious and outrageous. Sometimes they are subtle and manipulative. It is remarkable how fast information flows today, especially across the various social media outlets. And, as we all know, our patients and health care providers are just as susceptible to bad information as anyone else.

How do we avoid falling susceptible to bad information? For starters, we practice evidence-based education and clinical care. At Contact Lens Spectrum, our editorial team includes practicing eyecare professionals and clinical scientists who are trained at the highest of levels and collectively have hundreds of years of experience with contact lenses. We rely heavily on our years of experience in addition to the scientific knowledge produced to advance our field and patient care. As Abraham Lincoln said, “Don’t believe everything you read on the internet just because there is a picture with a quote next to it.”