REFRESH OPTIVE Drops carboxymethylcellulose sodium and glycerin 10 mg/mL; 9 mg/mL Solution/ Drops
by Allergan, Inc. · 1 BOTTLE, DROPPER in 1 CARTON (0023-5459-10) / 10 mL in 1 BOTTLE, DROPPER
NDC 00023-5459-10
🏷️ FDA NDC (as labeled)
0023-5459-10
billing pads the labeler segment with a zero
This package
Contains10 mL in 1 bottle, dropper
Cost per mL$1.10 NADAC
Per package$10.99 / 10 ml
Pack sizes2 compare ↓
Also priced by: Medicaid pays $1.82/unit — full pricing hub ↓
Also comes in:
2 mL 00023-5459-02
OTC
On market
Non-controlled
🗂️ Data synced Jul 24, 2026 · sources: openFDA · FDA label (DailyMed) · FDA Orange & Purple Book · First Databank · CMS NADAC, ASP, Medicare & Medicaid · RxNorm
📋 All sources & update times →
🆔 Identity & classification
FDA NDC (as labeled)
0023-5459-10
Product NDC
0023-5459
11-digit billing NDC
00023545910
NCPDP billing unit
ML — per mL (volume)
RxCUI
1726416
UNII
K679OBS311, PDC6A3C0OX
Application #
M018
SPL Set ID
80275190-d717-40ea-905b-5c8fbe986eac
Established class (EPC)
Non-Standardized Chemical Allergen
Physiologic effect
Increased Histamine Release; Cell-mediated Immunity; Increased IgG Production
Chemical class
Allergens; Glycerol
DEA schedule
Non-controlled
Marketing category
OTC MONOGRAPH DRUG
Marketing status
On market
FDA listing status
Listed (active directory)
Marketing start
2015-09-30
Route
OPHTHALMIC
Dosage form
SOLUTION/ DROPS
Substance
CARBOXYMETHYLCELLULOSE SODIUM; GLYCERIN
GPI-14
86209902124020
GPI class
Refresh Optive
GCN Seq No
075177
GCN
40182
HICL code
034858
Ingredient (HICL)
Carboxymethylcellulos/Glycerin
HIC1 code
Q
Therapeutic class — broad (HIC1)
Ear/Eye/Nose/Rectum/Topical/Vagina/Other
HIC2 code
Q6
Therapeutic class — intermediate (HIC2)
Ophthalmic Preparations
HIC3 code
Q6T
Therapeutic class — specific (HIC3)
Artificial Tears
AHFS code
52:92.00.00
AHFS class
Eent Drugs, Miscellaneous
FDB label name
REFRESH OPTIVE GEL EYE DROPS
FDB brand name
Refresh Optive
Legend status
O — Over-the-counter (OTC) drug or device
Why two NDCs?
The FDA registers this code as 0023-5459-10 — a 4-4-2 layout, and that's what's printed on the package and shown on DailyMed. For insurance claims, every NDC is standardized to a uniform 11-digit 5-4-2 format by adding a zero to the labeler segment → 00023-5459-10. Same drug, same package — only the format differs.
Where does this data come from?
Identifiers from the FDA openFDA NDC Directory and Structured Product Labeling; RxCUI from RxNorm (NLM); GPI from Medi-Span; GCN / HIC / AHFS / legend from First Databank.
🏭 Manufacturer & labeler
LabelerAllergan, Inc.
FDA applicationM018 (OTC MONOGRAPH DRUG)
Labeler code00023
First marketedSep 2015
Product typeHuman Otc Drug
Portfolio188 products on file
The labeler markets the product; the application holder owns the FDA approval. They’re often the same company but can differ (e.g. a repackager or an authorized generic). A mailing address / phone appears here when the manufacturer includes it in the product’s FDA label (not all do).
Where does this data come from?
Labeler, application holder and registered establishment from the FDA openFDA NDC Directory and Drugs@FDA; address/contact from the product’s FDA label.
🩺 Clinical
Label name REFRESH OPTIVE GEL EYE DROPS Ingredient Carboxymethylcellulos/Glycerin
🧪 What is this product?
Refresh Optive is an over-the-counter eye drop solution that functions as an artificial tear product. It contains two active ingredients, carboxymethylcellulose sodium and glycerin, which are both lubricants commonly used to relieve dryness and irritation of the eye surface. The drops are applied directly to the eye to help moisturize and protect the cornea and conjunctiva. This product is marketed as an OTC monograph drug under FDA guidelines for its category.
Patient education
Supplement & herbal interactions
Where does this data come from?
Plain-language summary from MedlinePlus (U.S. National Library of Medicine); supplement & herbal interactions and nutrient depletion data from the Natural Medicines database; our full guide is HelloPharmacist editorial content.
💬 Questions about carboxymethylcellulose sodium and glycerin?
Ask a pharmacist →
Ask a licensed pharmacist directly — free, answered by our team.
🧪 Inactive Ingredients / Excipients
Inactive ingredients, also called excipients, are components of the drug product other than the active ingredient. They may include fillers, dyes, coatings, preservatives, flavors, or other formulation ingredients.
💡 Tap an ingredient (hover on desktop) to see what it is and why it’s used.
-
UNII R57ZHV85D4
Boric acid is a weak acid derived from boron. In medicines, it typically serves as a buffer to help maintain the product's pH level and may act as a preservative in certain formulations.
-
UNII M4I0D6VV5M
Calcium chloride is a salt compound that acts as a firming agent and source of calcium ions in medications. It's used in formulations to help maintain tablet structure, improve texture, or serve as a buffering agent.
-
UNII RA96B954X6
Erythritol is a sugar alcohol derived from fermented fruits or grains. It's used as a sweetener and bulking agent in medicines to improve taste without adding significant calories.
-
UNII 0G389FZZ9M
Levocarnitine is an amino acid derivative that helps transport fatty acids in cells. In medications, it serves as an active nutritional component rather than a typical inactive binder or filler.
-
UNII 02F3473H9O
A mineral salt used in medications as a source of magnesium. It helps bind ingredients together, improve texture, and maintain the product's stability during storage.
-
UNII 660YQ98I10
Potassium chloride is a mineral salt used in medicines as a buffer and to help maintain the proper pH balance and stability of the formulation during storage and use.
-
UNII 91MBZ8H3QO
Sodium borate is an inorganic salt compound used in medicines as a buffer to help maintain a stable pH level, and sometimes as a mild preservative or cleansing agent in topical formulations.
-
UNII G538EBV4VF
Sodium chlorite is a white crystalline salt used as a preservative and antimicrobial agent in medications. It helps prevent bacterial and fungal growth to maintain product stability during storage.
-
UNII B22547B95K
A salt derived from citric acid that helps maintain the proper acid-base balance in the medicine. It's used as a buffer to keep the product stable and at the right pH level.
-
UNII 059QF0KO0R
Water is a liquid solvent that dissolves and mixes ingredients together in liquid medicines, syrups, and injections. It helps distribute the active drug evenly throughout the product.
10 inactive ingredients listed in the exact product block matched to this NDC.
The official label also statesBoric acid; calcium chloride dihydrate; erythritol; levocarnitine; magnesium chloride hexahydrate; potassium chloride; purified water; PURITE® (stabilized oxychloro complex); sodium borate decahydrate; and sodium citrate dihydrate.
Label-section wording can be broader than the structured product block and may mention additional formulation ingredients.
Where does this data come from?
Data sourced from official FDA Structured Product Labeling (SPL) via DailyMed —
ingredient classCode="IACT" elements from the exact product block matched by this NDC. Label-section narrative from DailyMed / the openFDA label index is shown separately when available.Inactive ingredient FAQ
Are inactive ingredients the same for every manufacturer?
No. Inactive ingredients can differ by manufacturer, dosage form, strength, and package / product version.
Why might an inactive ingredient be missing?
Some SPLs do not provide a complete structured inactive-ingredient list, and older or unusual labels may only include the information in narrative text.
Can inactive ingredients matter?
Yes. They can matter for allergies, intolerances, dyes, gluten / lactose concerns, preservatives, and formulation differences — but confirm with a pharmacist or the manufacturer when it’s clinically important.
💲 Pricing
A drug doesn't have one price. Each row is a different public payment system, and none is what you'd pay at the counter — that depends on your insurance. The ⓘ on each row explains what it measures.
| Price system | Per mL | Per package |
|---|---|---|
| Retail pharmacies payNADAC · weekly | $1.099 | $10.99 / 10 ml |
| Medicaid paysCMS SDUD · 12 mo | $1.82 | $18.15 / 10 ml |
| Medicare drug plans payPart D · quarterly | No Part D plan price is available for this NDC in our data. | |
NADAC price history (per mL) — tap or hover for the price & month
▲ Up 11% over the last 7 months.
Where does this data come from?
NADAC (National Average Drug Acquisition Cost) is the CMS weekly pharmacy-acquisition-cost survey — what pharmacies pay. ASP (Average Sales Price) is the CMS Medicare Part B drug-payment file, published quarterly. Medicaid pays is computed by us from CMS State Drug Utilization Data (total reimbursed ÷ units, trailing 12 months) — gross of rebates and inclusive of dispensing fees, so it reflects what Medicaid paid, not an acquisition cost. Medicare drug plans pay is the median negotiated point-of-sale unit cost across plans listing this NDC in the CMS quarterly Prescription Drug Plan pricing files, before rebates. The VA pays is the federal contract price (FSS, and the statutory Big 4 ceiling where listed) from the VA National Acquisition Center pharmaceutical price file. All are free public government data; each measures a different payer, so the figures are not directly comparable.
🔁 Therapeutic equivalents
| Product | Labeler | Pack | NADAC/unit | TE | Status | Price vs. this |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| REFRESH OPTIVE Drops 10 mg/mL; 9 mg/mLthis 00023-5459-10 | Allergan, | 1 bottle | $1.099 | — | Availability likely | — |
About this product: other versions of the same ingredient, strength and form are listed above, least expensive first, with FDA equivalence ratings where available.
Where does this data come from?
Equivalents are other NDCs of the same ingredient, form and route from the openFDA NDC Directory, ranked least-expensive-first by NADAC. Therapeutic-equivalence (AB) ratings come from the FDA Orange Book; biologics use the FDA Purple Book for biosimilar & interchangeable status.
⏳ Availability & generic status
🏛️
2015
On the market since
Sep 2015
📍
2026
Currently FDA-listed
11 years listed
🔒
·
No generic listed yet
brand only
ℹ️No FDA-approved generic found
We did not find an FDA-approved generic match for this exact strength, form and route.
Where does this data come from?
Patents and exclusivity from the FDA Orange Book (small-molecule drugs), refreshed from public FDA data. Generic launch timing is an estimate, not a guarantee.
🗺️ Medicaid utilization & spend
📍 This exact package only: Medicaid data is reported per full 11-digit NDC — labeler, product and pack size — so every number here is for 00023-5459-10, not the drug overall. Other pack sizes report separately.
💊 Pharmacy benefit only: These are Medicaid outpatient pharmacy claims, billed by NDC. They exclude the medical benefit — clinic- or hospital-administered drugs billed under HCPCS J-codes — so drugs used mostly that way (e.g. Avastin, Lucentis, Keytruda) can look low or missing here. That’s expected, not an error.
📅 Q1 2025 – Q4 2025 · 4 quarters of data
ⓘ The newest quarter is usually incomplete when first published; states restate recent quarters in later CMS releases, so the latest figures typically revise upward. State coverage-policy changes can also shift quarter-to-quarter totals.
Prescriptions last 4 qtrs
1.9K
Units reimbursed last 4 qtrs
19.3K
Gross reimbursed last 4 qtrs
$35K
Avg / prescription
$18.25
Avg / unit
$1.8150
Latest quarter Q4 2025
455Rx
Medicaid pays / mL
$1.8150
gross reimbursed
vs
NADAC / mL
$1.0990
acquisition cost
=
Spread
+$0.7160
+65% vs cost
What Medicaid paid per mL (before rebates; includes the pharmacy’s dispensing fee) compared with NADAC — the average price pharmacies pay to buy the drug. A positive spread means Medicaid reimbursed more than the purchase price, before manufacturer rebates.
Fee-for-service vs managed care ⓘ
Fee-for-service · 567 Rx Managed care · 1,349 Rx
State Medicaid map
Units reimbursed · per 100k residents
4.373.3
gray = no data reported ⓘ
Colors are per 100,000 residents, so big states don’t automatically dominate. Tap or hover a state for its actual totals.
Tap or hover a state
…for its Medicaid breakdown
Prescriptions—
Units—
Reimbursed—
🏆 Top states by units · per 100k residents
National units — by quarter
💵 About the dollar figures: “reimbursed” is what Medicaid paid pharmacies before confidential manufacturer rebates, so the program’s real net cost is lower than these numbers. Fee-for-service and managed-care claims are combined unless split above. Source: CMS State Drug Utilization Data; per-100k rates use 2023 Census population estimates.
💊 Medicaid utilization by pack size
Medicaid (SDUD) totals over the four most recent reported quarters for every package size of this drug — handy when a specific package (e.g. a starter/titration pack) carries little or no Medicaid volume on its own.
Drug total (last 4 qtrs): 1,916 Rx · 19,265 units · $34,966 gross reimbursed
Tap a pack size to open its page. Source: CMS State Drug Utilization Data, last 4 quarters.
🔬 Reported adverse events (FAERS)
Read carefully: FAERS reports are voluntary and unverified. Counts are not incidence, do not establish causation, are subject to reporting bias, and cannot be used to compare one drug to another. Shown for signal context only. Reports for Carboxymethylcellulose sodium and glycerin — the ingredient across all brands.
Top reported reactions
Age at onset
Reporter sex
Male · 21%
Female · 79%
Unknown · 0%
Serious outcomes
Reports over time (by year) — tap or hover for the count & year
Most recent year is provisional (FAERS lags ~3 months).
Where does this data come from?
Adverse-event reports from the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) via openFDA. FAERS reports are voluntary and unverified — counts are not incidence and don’t establish causation.
📦 Packaging — all sizes for this product
| Package NDC | Description | Per unit | Per pack | Marketing start | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 00023-5459-02 | 1 BOTTLE, DROPPER in 1 CARTON (0023-5459-02) / 2 mL in 1 BOTTLE, DROPPER | — | — | 2015-09-30 | Active |
| 00023-5459-10 You're viewing this | 1 BOTTLE, DROPPER in 1 CARTON (0023-5459-10) / 10 mL in 1 BOTTLE, DROPPER | $1.10 / mL | $10.99 | 2015-09-30 | Active |
In Medicaid, this is the most-dispensed pack of this product — about 100% of fills over the last four reported quarters. See all packs ↓
Pack size FAQ
What quantity is in NDC 00023-5459-10?
NDC 00023-5459-10 is listed by the FDA — 1 bottle, dropper in 1 carton / 10 ml in 1 bottle, dropper.
What NDC number is used to bill for this package of REFRESH OPTIVE Drops carboxymethylcellulose sodium and glycerin 10 mg/mL; 9 mg/mL Solution/ Drops?
Bill NDC 00023-5459-10 — the 11-digit billing format is 00023545910. Pharmacy and medical claims use the 11-digit form; the FDA label may print a shorter form of the same code.
Prices are the latest CMS NADAC pharmacy acquisition cost per NDC; per-pack figures are per-unit × pack quantity, shown only when the pack is denominated in the same measure NADAC prices.
📄 FDA label — Drug Facts FDA SPL
The complete FDA label for this product — the official Drug Facts labeling, verbatim, section by section. Jump with a chip, search within the label, or expand everything.
🎯 Indications and Usage
⏱️ Dosage and Administration
⚠️ Warnings
🧪 Active Ingredient
🧪 Inactive Ingredients
🎯 Purpose
🎯 Indications and Usage ▾
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.
⏱️ Dosage and Administration ▾
Directions Instill 1 or 2 drops in the affected eye(s) as needed.
⚠️ Warnings ▾
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 or becomes cloudy, 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.
🧪 Active Ingredient ▾
Active ingredients Carboxymethylcellulose sodium 1% Glycerin 0.9%
🧪 Inactive Ingredients ▾
Inactive ingredients Boric acid; calcium chloride dihydrate; erythritol; levocarnitine; magnesium chloride hexahydrate; potassium chloride; purified water; PURITE® (stabilized oxychloro complex); sodium borate decahydrate; and sodium citrate dihydrate.
🎯 Purpose ▾
Purpose Eye lubricant Eye lubricant
No label section mentions that — try another word, or open the full label on DailyMed below.
Source: FDA Structured Product Labeling, mirrored from DailyMed / openFDA.
Prefer the government’s original formatting? View this label on DailyMed ↗
For educational and professional reference only — not medical advice. Pricing reflects published
NADAC and CMS ASP (free public data) and may differ from your acquisition cost; always verify before billing or dispensing.