Advisory: TheraTears Dispenser change

[Guest]

I wash my hands constantly and if drop get a bit warm or touches anything even finger then i throw it. not worth risk

I'm super careful too - I'd never use the drops if I couldn't re-cap them (bacteria literally can be floating around on air currents, and I don't want the wrong one to land on my eyedropper tip and multiply), and if I touch the dropper tip, I toss it in the garbage, even if it's still full.

I have used them warm (but capped) when they've been sitting in my jean's pocket for example... but that's not the norm for me - they are usually kept in my purse.

[karensumner]

i tend to buy in bulk. so after reading this i am so not happy. i checked a few boxes and yep new design again-they can be re-capped unlike the one pointy ones they were using however, you have to use an old cap..

how can we sterlize the caps???I am peeved and am calling tomorrow to complain

[karensumner]

Girls and guys.. i have like 16 boxes or so of Thera tears. luckily most have reg caps. i noticed on the ones that don't they have a dif lot number and style on the bottom of the box-it is in bold print and says LOT AV13E2 for example.. they all start with "A" on my boxes-these are the ones that the caps don't fit and there is LESS fluid in each drop.. I am calling tomorrow..

Good news I hope=these are dated 5/2015 and i have drops dated in 2016 and they have the regular caps-so I do think it is due to where they were manufacturered. so i for sure will look for the other lot #s.. and ask my doc how to discenfect old caps to use them-would boiling water first and then immersing them be sufficient or a peroxide mixture? i have no clue-or maybe duh-this just came to me--soaking them in a contact lens cleaning/disenfecting saline solution and rinsing iwth distilled water???

[LaDiva]

You are right Karen. I just bought a box last week that looked like it had the correct pointy tip with cap, but they are not. They are exactly like the vials you described and have the same Lot # and date as yours. Not resealable, and good for only a few squirts.

[karensumner]

I just called customer service and was advised that they are NO LONGER making them with RESEALABLE caps as THE PRODUCT IT TO USED WITHIN 5 MINUTES! I told the rep that all Opthamologists state differently and she just repeated herself. So I guess we are out of luck. I am not sure what I will do in the future. I used to use Refresh but my eyes don't feel very good with them.

Does anyone know of any eyedrop similar to Thera Tears?

[buntbean]

i do get drops heavily discounted by medicare which gives me freedom to b so careful.

I never got an ulcer just pain so yes God truly is merciful [/QUOTE]

Soaps: How do you get your drops discounted?

[buntbean]

That's exactly what they said to me karensumner. They are suppose to be used within 5 minutes. I understand they are trying to protect themselves but this is too much!!

[LaDiva]

I've been thinking about the motivation behind this change. Lawsuits from consumer infections? An opportunity to make more money? Both? Other?I'd love to know if they have a new board of directors, owners, blah, blah, blah. Going to see if I can't use another kind of drop too, but think I've already tried most of what is out there.

Five minutes my tootsie-wootsie. Bull farkle.

[karensumner]

$$$$$ It has to be $$.. I have never heard of any lawsuits-not saying there aren't any-I am sure they are..
My whole thing and what I tried to explain to the 2nd Customer Service Rep was that even if they are to be used within 5 minutes a resealable cap would be nice as no one wants to have to sit there with dropper in their hand!!! I was told if I needed to use them so often I needed to buy the bottle type-i said i couldn't do that do to preservatives.. The rep did say they have had a lot of complaints and were looking into it!! So we need to keep calling.

So i did see that the old caps are fitting on the new ones .. I wonder tho what is the safest way to disenfect the caps?? You don't want to boil them cause they are plastic... ?? anyone???

[karensumner]

That's exactly what they said to me karensumner. They are suppose to be used within 5 minutes. I understand they are trying to protect themselves but this is too much!!

I loathe Walmart but it's the only place I can find them-Chicago> weird huh.. But i am going to take a look at the numbers on the bottom of the boxes and if they have the older ones am picking them up. What is odd is that some of the ones with numbers on the bottom that have the caps on the drops are good through 2016 and the "new" style only good til 2015.. I guess it is due to where they were manufactured.

[Guest]

The rep did say they have had a lot of complaints and were looking into it!! So we need to keep calling.

Agreed! Keep on calling... my suspicion is that they did this to make more money - but if they start to realize that LESS people will buy their drops because of this, and realize they will end up making LESS money, then I'd say there are good odds they to back to the old re-closeable cap design.

[LaDiva]

Here is a page with Akorn phone numbers and email addresses: http://www.akorn.com/foot_contactus.php

I am going to email, and have before, but think this time I will write more than one department as well as investor relations. I am also going to post a separate thread with only the above link so that anyone interested can contact Akorn. I'd personally rather pay a little more and get a dispenser that is usable. The premise that one must use these within five minutes is an insult to our intelligence, as well as the person who came up with the idea.

[Bill Sonoma County]

Great comments and investigation by all. I also went through the Lot No. / Exp. Date issue with customer service, even suggested that there must be someone, somewhere, within their company who knows what is in the boxes, but they clearly said that no one did!

Like Karen, I also buy in bulk. But the whole remainder of my last order is the bad dispensers. Got drawers full. Great.

Glad to hear we are all safe and prudent with recappable vials. Last night in the dark I accidentally touched the tip as I reached for a freshly opened vial on the nightstand. I consider that to be contaminated and discarded it--would not have happened with the recappable style. Such a waste.

Be sure to check Buntbean's thread "Cheating Us?", link given above on Feb 11 post. With the incorrect image on the box, and less fluid than stated within the vials, I think that consumers are being misled. That is the domain of the FTC. Should they be alerted?

[LaDiva]

Bill, I wrote an email to Akorn this morning. California has a Department of Consumer Affairs. I don't know if they can do anything, but I am considering writing to them. What do we complain about? I am not sure. It could be that a private company can make anything any way they please. I am not sure why, but for some reason it feels abusive.

Just can't help it, but I always think of you as "William of Sonoma"! We used to live in Santa Rosa. It is beautiful over there.

[Bill Sonoma County]

Hi Folks, I reported this to the FTC. One fact that needs stating: though I have communicated thoughts via Rebecca's DEZ, my action in no way represents any consensus arrived at through this site. It is entirely independent of this forum, this website and any thoughtful contributors, as i look for ways to make DED treatable. I would have notified FTC even if this site did not exist--no liability for this action on anyone's part other than my own. There is an FTC ref no. if anyone wants to add supporting comments, but I will only give that out via private messaging; not via this forum. (La Diva, I'm happy to be William(s) Sonoma and if I had an $85 carrot cake, I'd send you one!)

Moisture to all,

Bill