Quick answers
- What is Refresh?
- Refresh is a brand name of Carboxymethylcellulose and glycerin, Carboxymethylcellulose, glycerin and polysorbate 80, Carboxymethylcellulose, Mineral oil and petrolatum and Polyvinyl alcohol and povidone, an over-the-counter medicine. The FDA NDC Directory lists 26 Refresh products in 11 strengths and forms.
- Who makes Refresh?
- Allergan, Inc. lists 25 of the 26 Refresh products in the FDA NDC Directory.
- Is there a generic or store brand of Refresh?
- Yes. The FDA NDC Directory lists 17 other products with the same active ingredients, strength and form as a Refresh product, 17 of them generic or store brands. Ask your pharmacist whether one is right for you.
- What do pharmacies pay for Refresh?
- CMS lists a National Average Drug Acquisition Cost (NADAC) for 13 Refresh strengths and forms (see the table below). That is what pharmacies pay to buy it, not what you pay: your price depends on your insurance and your pharmacy.
- Has Refresh been recalled?
- FDA enforcement reports list 3 recalls of Refresh products; the newest started December 30, 2020. A recall usually concerns specific lots, not every product.
What Refresh is
Each Refresh product as listed in the FDA NDC Directory, by active ingredient, strength and form, with its official label. “Same medicine, other names” counts the other products with exactly the same active ingredients, strength and form (generic versions, store brands and other brands); inactive ingredients can differ.
Carboxymethylcellulose and glycerin · over-the-counter medicine
| Strength and form | Product names | Same medicine, other names | Label |
|---|---|---|---|
| carboxymethylcellulose sodium 10 mg/mL · glycerin 9 mg/mL solution/ drops (ophthalmic) | REFRESH OPTIVE Drops | None listed | DailyMed |
| carboxymethylcellulose sodium 5 mg/mL · glycerin 10 mg/mL solution/ drops (ophthalmic) | Refresh RELIEVA PF | None listed | DailyMed |
| carboxymethylcellulose sodium 5 mg/mL · glycerin 9 mg/mL solution/ drops (ophthalmic) | Refresh Optive, Refresh Tears Pf, Refresh Relieva, Refresh Relieva PF Xtra | 2 products, 2 companies | DailyMed |
Its page quotes the Drug Facts label and lists every brand and store brand: Carboxymethylcellulose and glycerin →
Carboxymethylcellulose, glycerin and polysorbate 80 · over-the-counter medicine
| Strength and form | Product names | Same medicine, other names | Label |
|---|---|---|---|
| carboxymethylcellulose sodium 5 mg/mL · glycerin 10 mg/mL · polysorbate 80 5 mg/mL solution/ drops (ophthalmic) | REFRESH Optive Mega-3, REFRESH OPTIVE Advanced, Refresh Optive Mega-3 PF, Refresh Digital PF | None listed | DailyMed |
Its page quotes the Drug Facts label and lists every brand and store brand: Carboxymethylcellulose, glycerin and polysorbate 80 →
Carboxymethylcellulose · over-the-counter medicine
| Strength and form | Product names | Same medicine, other names | Label |
|---|---|---|---|
| carboxymethylcellulose sodium 10 mg/mL gel (ophthalmic) | Refresh Celluvisc | 1 product, 1 company | DailyMed |
| carboxymethylcellulose sodium 5 mg/mL solution/ drops (ophthalmic) | Refresh Tears, Refresh Plus | 13 products, 11 companies | DailyMed |
| carboxymethylcellulose sodium, unspecified 10 mg/mL gel (ophthalmic) | Refresh Liquigel | 1 product, 1 company | DailyMed |
Its page quotes the Drug Facts label and lists every brand and store brand: Carboxymethylcellulose →
Mineral oil and petrolatum · over-the-counter medicine
| Strength and form | Product names | Same medicine, other names | Label |
|---|---|---|---|
| mineral oil 42.5% · petrolatum 56.8% ointment (ophthalmic) | Refresh Lacri-Lube | None listed | DailyMed |
| mineral oil 42.5% · petrolatum 57.3% ointment (ophthalmic) | Refresh P.M. | None listed | DailyMed |
Its page quotes the Drug Facts label and lists every brand and store brand: Mineral oil and petrolatum →
Polyvinyl alcohol and povidone · over-the-counter medicine
| Strength and form | Product names | Same medicine, other names | Label |
|---|---|---|---|
| polyvinyl alcohol 14 mg/mL · povidone 6 mg/mL solution/ drops (ophthalmic) | Refresh Classic | None listed | DailyMed |
| polyvinyl alcohol, unspecified 14 mg/mL · povidone 6 mg/mL solution/ drops (ophthalmic) | REFRESH Classic | None listed | — |
Its page quotes the Drug Facts label and lists every brand and store brand: Polyvinyl alcohol and povidone →
FDA approval
Refresh products are sold under an FDA over-the-counter monograph: rules that set the allowed active ingredients, strengths and label wording, so these products do not need an individual FDA approval.
What pharmacies pay (NADAC)
The National Average Drug Acquisition Cost (NADAC) is the average price U.S. retail pharmacies paid to buy one unit of a medicine (one tablet, one mL or one gram), from a monthly survey of pharmacy invoices by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). State Medicaid programs use it to pay pharmacies.
This is not the price you pay. What you pay depends on your insurance (copay or coinsurance), your pharmacy and any discounts, and pharmacies also charge for filling a prescription. Ask your pharmacist or your health plan what your price will be.
| Strength and form | Generic or brand | Pharmacies pay |
|---|---|---|
| carboxymethylcellulose sodium 10 mg/mL gel | Brand: Refresh | $0.3665 per unit |
| carboxymethylcellulose sodium 10 mg/mL · glycerin 9 mg/mL solution/ drops | Brand: Refresh | $1.10 per mL |
| carboxymethylcellulose sodium 5 mg/mL solution/ drops | Brand: Refresh | $0.2596–$0.2965 per unit 3 packages, lowest to highest Generic of the same strength and form: $0.1664–$0.2548 per unit |
| carboxymethylcellulose sodium 5 mg/mL solution/ drops | Brand: Refresh | $0.4117–$0.5588 per mL 2 packages, lowest to highest |
| carboxymethylcellulose sodium 5 mg/mL · glycerin 10 mg/mL solution/ drops | Brand: Refresh | $0.4530 per unit |
| carboxymethylcellulose sodium 5 mg/mL · glycerin 10 mg/mL · polysorbate 80 5 mg/mL solution/ drops | Brand: Refresh | $0.4458 per unit |
| carboxymethylcellulose sodium 5 mg/mL · glycerin 10 mg/mL · polysorbate 80 5 mg/mL solution/ drops | Brand: Refresh | $1.03 per mL |
| carboxymethylcellulose sodium 5 mg/mL · glycerin 9 mg/mL solution/ drops | Brand: Refresh | $0.3415 per unit |
| carboxymethylcellulose sodium 5 mg/mL · glycerin 9 mg/mL solution/ drops | Brand: Refresh | $0.6590–$1.25 per mL 5 packages, lowest to highest |
| carboxymethylcellulose sodium, unspecified 10 mg/mL gel | Brand: Refresh | $0.5783 per mL |
| mineral oil 42.5% · petrolatum 56.8% ointment | Brand: Refresh | $2.79 per gram |
| mineral oil 42.5% · petrolatum 57.3% ointment | Brand: Refresh | $2.45 per gram |
| polyvinyl alcohol, unspecified 14 mg/mL · povidone 6 mg/mL solution/ drops | Brand: Refresh | $0.2798–$0.3062 per unit 2 packages, lowest to highest |
NADAC list of November 4, 2026; these prices took effect on October 21, 2026. Shown only where a package’s NDC code matches the NADAC list exactly, and only for that exact strength and form: nothing is averaged across strengths. Strengths and forms not listed here have no NADAC price.
Source: NADAC (National Average Drug Acquisition Cost) 2026, data.medicaid.gov (CMS) →
Companies that list Refresh
The company named on the package (holder, repackager or distributor), as listed in the FDA NDC Directory, with its number of Refresh products.
- Allergan, Inc.25 products
- A-S Medication Solutions1 product
Recalls
From FDA enforcement reports, matched by the product’s NDC code or label. A recall usually covers specific lots: check the lot number on your package and ask your pharmacist. Do not stop a medicine on your own.
-
December 30, 2020 · Class II · Terminated · D-0233-2021
Labeling: Missing instructions for use insert
Refresh Relieva PF Preservative-Free Lubricant Eye Drops 0.33 fl oz (10 mL) Sterile Distributed by: Allergan, an AbbVie company Madison, NJ 07940 UPC 3 00236 63410 0, NDC 0023-6634-10. — Allergan, PLC.
-
August 24, 2015 · Class II · Terminated · D-1817-2015
Presence of Particulate Matter: Due to customer complaints of small black particles, identified as part of the ointment tube cap, generated by the action of unscrewing the cap from the aluminum tube and potentially introducing the particle into the product.
Refresh Lacri-Lube (Mineral Oil 42.5% and White Petrolatum 56.8%) Lubricant Eye Ointment, packaged in a) Net wt. 0.12 oz (3.5 g) tubes (NDC 0023-0312-04) UPC 3 0023-0312-04 2 and b) Net wt. 0.25 oz (7 g) tubes (NDC 0023- — Allergan Sales, LLC
-
August 24, 2015 · Class II · Terminated · D-1818-2015
Presence of Particulate Matter: Due to customer complaints of small black particles, identified as part of the ointment tube cap, generated by the action of unscrewing the cap from the aluminum tube and potentially introducing the particle into the product.
Refresh P.M. (Mineral Oil 42.5% and White Petrolatum 57.3%) Lubricant Eye Ointment, Net wt. 0.12 oz (3.5 g) tube, Allergan, Inc., 2525 Dupont Drive, Irvine, CA 92612, NDC 0023-0240-04, UPC 3 00230 66704 3. — Allergan Sales, LLC
Sources
- NDC Directory (openFDA) — U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), FDA data exported October 30, 2026, retrieved October 31, 2026
- Drugs@FDA (openFDA) — U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), FDA data exported October 30, 2026, retrieved October 31, 2026
- Drug labeling (SPL, openFDA) — U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), FDA data exported October 30, 2026, retrieved October 31, 2026
- Drug recall enforcement reports (openFDA) — U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), FDA data exported October 27, 2026, retrieved October 31, 2026
- NADAC (National Average Drug Acquisition Cost) 2026 — Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), data.medicaid.gov, list of November 4, 2026, retrieved November 7, 2026
Which names get a brand page: a name the NDC Directory lists for a medicine, held by one company (the FDA application holder, or the company named on most of its products), that is not just a description, and that is not the only product of its medicine.