Drugs › Non-Standardized chemical allergen
Brand name · Carboxymethylcellulose sodium, glycerin
Refresh Optive: adverse event reports filed with FDA
1,206 reports list it as a suspect or interacting product, 2012–2026. Class: Non-Standardized chemical allergen. Also reported as Refresh Optive Gel Drops.
- 1,206
- reports as suspect product
- 0% of all reports · about 85 a year
- 54
- reports, 12 months to June 2026
- 60 in the 12 months before
- 18.8%
- marked serious by the reporter
- 7.3% across the class
- 0.5%
- record death among outcomes, as reported
- 6 reports · not verified by FDA
1,206 adverse event reports received by FDA list the brand name Refresh Optive (carboxymethylcellulose sodium, glycerin) as a suspect or interacting product, from April 2012 to June 2026. A further 764 reports list it only as a concomitant medication, and those are not counted in the figures on this page.
In the 12 months to June 2026, 54 reports listed it, down 10% from 60 in the 12 months before. FDA releases FAERS data quarterly, so the newest months are incomplete and grow in later releases. Over its reporting history that is about 85 reports a year and 0% of the 20,646,523 reports in the database, and 7.7% of the reports for the non-Standardized chemical allergen class. How many people take it is not in the data, so a count is not a rate of occurrence.
The reactions recorded most often are eye irritation (25.4%), vision blurred (13%) and drug ineffective (11%). A report can list several reactions, so shares add to more than 100%; 174 different terms appear across these reports. Eye irritation is recorded in 25.4% of these reports, with no counterpart in the median non-Standardized chemical allergen drug (0%).
18.8% of the reports are marked serious by the reporter (7.3% across the class); 0.5% record death among the outcomes and 1.4% record hospitalisation, as reported. 91.8% of the reports came from consumers, and the largest patient age group is 75 and over (20%). FDA states that "a causal relationship cannot be established between product and reactions listed in a report" and that for any given report "there is no certainty that a suspected drug caused the event."
Reports by month, five years
Reports by the month FDA received them. FDA releases FAERS data quarterly, so the newest months are incomplete and grow in later releases.
By year received
2026 covers reports received through June 2026 only.
Reactions recorded in the reports
share of Refresh Optive reports recording the termmedian drug in non-standardized chemical allergen
- Eye irritationeye irritation25.4%306
- Vision blurredblurred vision13%157
- Drug ineffectivethe medicine did not work as expected11%133
- Eye paineye pain10.7%129
- Ocular hyperaemiaa red eye9.9%119
- Dry eyedry eye7.7%93
- Eye discharge6.7%81
- Cataractclouding of the eye lens6.6%80
- Eye pruritus5.9%71
- Lacrimation increasedwatery eyes4.1%50
- Abnormal sensation in eye3.3%40
- Scleral hyperaemia3%36
- Visual impairmentreduced vision2.8%34
- Expired product administeredthe product was used past its expiry date2.7%33
- Eye swellinga swollen eye2.7%33
- Eye disorder2.7%32
- Ocular discomfort2.4%29
- Eyelid oedemaa swollen eyelid2.2%26
- Off label useused for a purpose or in a way not on the label1.9%23
- Instillation site pain1.8%22
- Therapeutic response decreasedthe medicine worked less well1.8%22
- Headachehead pain1.7%21
- Erythemaskin redness1.6%19
- Erythema of eyelid1.4%17
- Eye operation1.4%17
- Dizzinesslight-headedness or unsteadiness1.2%15
- Medication residue present1.2%15
- Pruritusitching1.2%14
- Visual acuity reducedreduced sharpness of vision1.2%14
Top 30 of 174 MedDRA preferred terms recorded across these reports, with a plain-language gloss where one is available. One report can record several terms. The hollow bar is the median share across the 3 drugs in the non-standardized chemical allergen class; it describes the reports, not the patients. FDA states that adverse event reports "represent a small percentage of total usage numbers of a product", that "common products may have a higher number of adverse events due to the higher total number of people using the product", and that the data "by themselves are not an indicator of the safety profile of the drug or biologic."
Outcomes recorded
Outcome flags as the reporter set them; a report can carry several, and "other serious" is FDA's own category for serious reports outside the named outcomes. Grey bar: all 15,731 reports in the class. FDA has not verified any outcome and states that the reports "cannot be used to estimate the incidence of these events."
Patients and reporters
Patient age
Patient sex
Who reported
Age and sex as stated in the report; the reporter's qualification is the primary source recorded by FDA. 99.7% of reports give the United States as the country of the event or reporter.
Reason for use recorded
| Indication as recorded (MedDRA) | Reports | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Dry eye | 713 | 59.1% |
| Postoperative care | 12 | 1% |
| Eye irritation | 8 | 0.7% |
| Eye lubrication therapy | 6 | 0.5% |
| Lacrimation increased | 6 | 0.5% |
| Ocular hyperaemia | 6 | 0.5% |
The indication field is filled in by the reporter and is often blank; shares are of all 1,206 reports.
In context
| Measure | Refresh Optive | Non-Standardized chemical allergen | All reports |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reports as suspect product | 1,206 | 15,731 | 20,646,523 |
| Share of that pool | — | 7.7% | 0% |
| Reports, latest 12 months | 54 | — | 1,332,454 |
| Marked serious | 18.8% | 7.3% | 57.4% |
| Death recorded among outcomes, per 1,000 reports | 5 | 2 | 91 |
| Hospitalisation recorded, per 1,000 reports | 14 | 29 | 213 |
| Consumer-filed share | 91.8% | 94.7% | 45.8% |
| Top term, share of reports | Eye irritation 25.4% | median 0% | 0.3% |
Shares are of reports, not of patients treated. The number of people taking a product is not in the data, so none of these figures is a rate, and differences between columns reflect who takes a product, who reports and how long it has been sold. FDA states that adverse event reports "represent a small percentage of total usage numbers of a product", that "common products may have a higher number of adverse events due to the higher total number of people using the product", and that the data "by themselves are not an indicator of the safety profile of the drug or biologic."
Other drugs in the non-standardized chemical allergen class
| Drug | Name type | Reports | Latest 12 months | Marked serious |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Abreva | brand | 13,634 | 96 | 0.7% |
| Glycerin | generic | 891 | 58 | 93.2% |
Ordered by report count for navigation only. FDA states that adverse event reports "represent a small percentage of total usage numbers of a product", that "common products may have a higher number of adverse events due to the higher total number of people using the product", and that the data "by themselves are not an indicator of the safety profile of the drug or biologic." A brand and its generic are separate rows because reporters name them separately.
Questions about Refresh Optive reports
How many adverse event reports has FDA received for Refresh Optive?
1,206 reports list Refresh Optive as a suspect or interacting product in the openFDA FAERS release of 28 Sep 2026, covering reports received through June 2026. 54 of them arrived in the latest 12 months. Another 764 list it only as a concomitant medication.
What reactions are recorded in Refresh Optive reports?
eye irritation (25.4%), vision blurred (13%), drug ineffective (11%), eye pain (10.7%) and ocular hyperaemia (9.9%). These are MedDRA preferred terms coded from what the reporter described; a report can list several, and a term's presence is not a finding that Refresh Optive was responsible.
How serious are the reports?
18.8% are marked serious by the reporter. Among the outcomes recorded, 0.5% of reports include death and 1.4% include hospitalisation. FDA has not verified these outcomes and states that the reports "cannot be used to estimate the incidence" of the events.
Who files these reports?
consumer or non-health professional (91.8%), physician (6.5%) and other health professional (1.2%). Most reports reach FDA through the manufacturer, which must forward reports it receives.
Are reports for Refresh Optive rising?
54 reports in the 12 months to June 2026, down 10% from 60 in the 12 months before. FDA releases FAERS data quarterly, so the newest months are incomplete and grow in later releases. Counts also move with how many people take a product, its time on the market and publicity.
Do these reports show that Refresh Optive was responsible for these reactions?
No. FDA states that "a causal relationship cannot be established between product and reactions listed in a report" and that for any given report "there is no certainty that a suspected drug caused the event." The reaction may relate to the condition being treated, to other medicines, or to something else.
Is this a list of the side effects of Refresh Optive?
No. It is a count of what was reported to FDA. The adverse reactions observed in clinical studies are printed on the FDA-approved label, which a pharmacist or clinician can go through with you.
How do I report an adverse event?
Consumers and health professionals can report to FDA through MedWatch (Form FDA 3500 online, or 1-800-FDA-1088), or to the manufacturer, which must pass reports on. See the guide on how to report.
Where this comes from. Counts are built from the openFDA Drug Adverse Event (FAERS) bulk export released 28 Sep 2026, which holds reports FDA received through 30 Jun 2026. Drug names are as reported, resolved to the brand or generic name on the FDA label where openFDA's harmonisation matched them; classes are the pharmacologic class (EPC) from the label and the National Drug Code Directory of 17 Sep 2026. A report counts here when it lists Refresh Optive as a suspect or interacting product; reports listing it only as a concomitant medication (764) are excluded. No report narrative, lot number, patient detail or reporter identity is published. See the methodology and sources; FDA's record is authoritative, and corrections are handled within five working days.
Drug data (FAERS) through 30 Jun 2026; device data (MAUDE) through 31 Aug 2026. Not medical advice.