Crisis Management at Bausch & Lomb - The 'ReNu Moistureloc' Controversy |
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The 'ReNu Moistureloc' Controversy "Bausch & Lomb's first priority is the health and safety of consumers. If there is a problem with our product (ReNu with MoistureLoc), we'll find it and we'll fix it. If there's not, when we come back, you'll be able to know with absolute certainty that we've taken every possible step to ensure your safety." 1 - Ronald Zarrella, Chief Executive Officer of Bausch & Lomb Inc. (B&L), in April 2006. "They (B&L) couldn't have done a worse job. It's almost as if they looked at the handbook on crisis management and threw it out the window." 2 - Paul Argenti, Professor of Corporate Communications, Dartmouth College's Tuck School of Business, 3 in April 2006. Bausch & Lomb in the Public EyeOn April 10, 2006, eye care company Bausch & Lomb Inc. (B&L) temporarily suspended the US shipments of its contact lens4 cleaner, ReNu with MoistureLoc (ReNu MoistureLoc) produced at its Greenville, South Carolina, U.S.A, manufacturing facility. This was done in order to facilitate a US Food and Drug Administration (FDA)5 investigation into reports of a fungal infection, Fusarium keratitis6 (keratitis), among contact lens wearers in the US.
B&L's CEO, Ronald Zarella (Zarella), said, "The CDC has not determined if these reports represent an increase of Fusarium keratitis infections and is continuing to investigate the association, if any, of these cases with any product. Nonetheless, in the interest of public health, we will voluntarily suspend U.S. shipments of ReNu with MoistureLoc while we pursue all appropriate steps to bring this investigation to a definitive conclusion."8
However, B&L's corrective action did not impress analysts, marketers, and medical specialists, many of whom felt that the eye care company had not done enough to inform the 30 million wearers of contact lenses in the US about the full extent of the problem. Analysts felt that B&L should have informed the public about the health issues linked with ReNu MoistureLoc as soon as it had come to know about it. Crisis Management at Bausch & Lomb - Next Page >>
1] Jeff Tannenbaum and Kerry Young, “Company Ends Sale of Lens Cleaner,” www.philly.com, April 14, 2006. |
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