Quick answers
- What is Carboxymethylcellulose, glycerin and polysorbate 80 used for?
- The Drug Facts label of Refresh Optive Mega-3 PF (Allergan, Inc.) lists these uses: For the temporary relief of burning, irritation, and discomfort due to dryness of the eye or exposure to wind or sun. May be used as a protectant against further irritation.
- Do I need a prescription for Carboxymethylcellulose, glycerin and polysorbate 80?
- No. The products on this page are sold without a prescription (over the counter).
- Is a store brand the same as the name brand?
- Products listed together below have the same active ingredients, in the same amount and the same form, as registered with the FDA. Inactive ingredients (such as colors, flavors and fillers) and package sizes can differ. Compare the “Active ingredient” box on both packages, and ask a pharmacist if you are not sure.
- Has Carboxymethylcellulose, glycerin and polysorbate 80 been recalled?
- No recall linked to these products appears in the FDA enforcement reports we use.
Drug Facts label
Every over-the-counter medicine must carry a “Drug Facts” box in the same order, set by FDA rules. Below is the label of one product for each common strength and form, quoted word for word. Your own package can differ (for example, children’s products have other directions): always follow the label on your package.
Refresh Optive Mega-3 PF · Allergan, Inc.
Carboxymethylcellulose sodium 5 mg/mL · Glycerin 10 mg/mL · Polysorbate 80 5 mg/mL, solution/ drops (ophthalmic)
Active ingredient
Carboxymethylcellulose sodium 0.5% Glycerin 1% Polysorbate 80 0.5%
Purpose
Eye lubricant Eye lubricant Eye lubricant
Uses
For the temporary relief of burning, irritation, and discomfort due to dryness of the eye or exposure to wind or sun. May be used as a protectant against further irritation.
Warnings
For external use only. To avoid contamination, do not touch tip of container to any surface. Replace cap after using. If solution changes color, do not use.
Stop use and ask a doctor if
you experience eye pain, changes in vision, continued redness or irritation of the eye, or if the condition worsens or persists for more than 72 hours.
Keep out of reach of children
If swallowed, get medical help or contact a Poison Control Center right away.
Directions
Prior to first use, please read the “Instructions for Use” inside this carton. Instill 1 or 2 drops in the affected eye(s) as needed.
Other information
Use only if tape seals on top and bottom flaps are intact. Use before expiration date marked on container. Discard 90 days after opening. Store at 59°-77°F (15°-25°C). RETAIN THIS CARTON AND THE INSERT FOR FUTURE REFERENCE
Inactive ingredients
Boric acid; butylated hydroxyl toluene; carbomer copolymer type A; castor oil; erythritol; flaxseed oil; levocarnitine; polyoxyl 40 stearate; purified water; and trehalose. May contain hydrochloric acid and/or sodium hydroxide (to adjust pH).
Questions?
1.800.678.160 5 r efresheyedrops.com V1.0DFL3988
— FDA label of Refresh Optive Mega-3 PF, Allergan, Inc., effective March 1, 2026. See the official label on DailyMed →
Droptics Dry Eye Relief · Droptics LLC
Carboxymethylcellulose sodium 0.5% · Glycerin 1% · Polysorbate 80 0.5%, liquid (ophthalmic)
Active ingredient
Carboxymethylcellulose sodium 0.5% Glycerin 1% Polysorbate 80 0.5%
Purpose
Lubricant
Uses
For the temporary relief of discomfort due to minor irritations of the eye or to exposure to wind or sun For use as a protectant against further irritation
Warnings
For external use only
Do not use
if solution changes color
When using this product
- Do not touch tip of the container to any surface to avoid contamination
- Replace cap after each use
Stop use and ask a doctor if
- If you feel eye pain
- Changes in vision occur
- Redness or irritation of the eye lasts
- Condition worsens or lasts more than 72 hours
Keep out of reach of children
- If swallowed, get medical help or contact a Poison Control Center right away
Directions
Put 1 or 2 drops in the affected eye(s) as needed. Tightly screw on cap to seal after use.
Inactive ingredients
L-arginine (amino acid), boric acid, cyanocobalamin (Vitamin B12), edetate disodium, potassium chloride, purified water, pyridoxine hydrochloride (Vitamin B6), sodium chloride, sodium citrate, stabilized oxychloro complex, taurine (amino acid), tocopherol acetate (Vitamin E), trehalose, sodium hydroxide and/or hydrochloric acid (to adjust pH)
— FDA label of Droptics Dry Eye Relief, Droptics LLC, effective July 22, 2026. See the official label on DailyMed →
This page is not medical advice. Read the label on your package, and ask a pharmacist or doctor if you are not sure a medicine is right for you, for your child, or with your other medicines.
Same medicine, other brands
Each group lists the products that have exactly the same active ingredients, in the same amount and form, as registered with the FDA (NDC Directory). A store brand in the same group has the same medicine as the name brand; inactive ingredients, flavors and package sizes can differ. Each product links to its own official label.
Carboxymethylcellulose sodium 5 mg/mL · Glycerin 10 mg/mL · Polysorbate 80 5 mg/mL · solution/ drops (ophthalmic) · 8 products
Drug Facts for this strength and form ↑
| Brand or product name | Company on the label | Label |
|---|---|---|
| Refresh Digital | Allergan, Inc. | DailyMed |
| Refresh Digital PF | Allergan, Inc. | DailyMed |
| REFRESH OPTIVE Advanced | Allergan, Inc. | DailyMed |
| REFRESH Optive Mega-3 | Allergan, Inc. | DailyMed |
| Refresh Optive Mega-3 PF | Allergan, Inc. | DailyMed |
Carboxymethylcellulose sodium 0.5% · Glycerin 1% · Polysorbate 80 0.5% · liquid (ophthalmic) · 1 product
Drug Facts for this strength and form ↑
| Brand or product name | Company on the label | Label |
|---|---|---|
| Droptics Dry Eye Relief | Droptics LLC | DailyMed |
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 5 mg/mL · glycerin 10 mg/mL · polysorbate 80 5 mg/mL solution/ drops | Brand: REFRESH OPTIVE Advanced | $0.4458 per unit |
| carboxymethylcellulose sodium 5 mg/mL · glycerin 10 mg/mL · polysorbate 80 5 mg/mL solution/ drops | Brand: REFRESH OPTIVE Advanced | $1.03 per mL |
| carboxymethylcellulose sodium 5 mg/mL · glycerin 10 mg/mL · polysorbate 80 5 mg/mL solution/ drops | Brand: REFRESH Optive Mega-3 | $0.4458 per unit |
| carboxymethylcellulose sodium 5 mg/mL · glycerin 10 mg/mL · polysorbate 80 5 mg/mL solution/ drops | Brand: Refresh Digital | $1.03 per mL |
| carboxymethylcellulose sodium 5 mg/mL · glycerin 10 mg/mL · polysorbate 80 5 mg/mL solution/ drops | Brand: Refresh Digital PF | $0.4458 per unit |
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 sell this medicine
The company named on the package (maker or distributor), as listed in the FDA NDC Directory, with its number of over-the-counter products of this medicine.
- Allergan, Inc.8 products
- Droptics LLC1 product
Recalls
No recall linked to these products (by their NDC code or label) appears in the FDA enforcement reports.
Next steps
- Find a pharmacy near youA pharmacist can answer questions about this label
- RefreshBrand page: products, maker and price
- Latest FDA drug recallsPrescription and over-the-counter, newest first
- All over-the-counter medicinesSearch by ingredient, brand or Spanish name
Sources
- Drug labeling (SPL, openFDA) — U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), FDA data exported October 30, 2026, retrieved October 31, 2026
- NDC Directory (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
- FDA rule for the Drug Facts label (21 CFR 201.66)
Only medicines marketed under FDA rules for nonprescription drugs (an FDA monograph or an FDA approval) are listed. Homeopathic products are not listed: the FDA does not evaluate them for safety or effectiveness.