Advisory: TheraTears Dispenser change

[Guest]

Keep in mind that these preservative-free vials are only approved because officially, they are "single use only". The last thing we want is for some over-zealous regulator to decide that ALL PF drops must become NON-resealable, to prevent us "reckless" folk from re-using the vial until gone.

However, you might be able to make a case based on the fact that the drops squirt all over your face when using them?? I don't know...

[soaps]

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

Soaps: How do you get your drops discounted?[/QUOTE]

Sorry missed ur question. i have a concession card for dry eye disability. i can then get a special prescriptions for eyedrops in bulk costing me around $6 for 20 boxes. i am in Australia so i don't think this is available in usa.
Unfortunately its not widely know by patients or drs so required heaps of research and nagging.

[karensumner]

i spoke with my specialist about this and he said they are doing it to make $. I know we all know that. he also said it was ok to use caps from other eyedrops to close them up-as long as we dont touch the tip of the cap to anythiing...

[Bill Sonoma County]

Karen, did your specialist give an idea of how many times a cap could be used? Did she/he recommend using a new cap for each "non-recappable" vial? Seems that the cap would eventually accumulate bacteria etc. if used multiple times.

[LaDiva]

I don't know, but I am guessing if you rinse the caps in rubbing alcohol and then water, they can probably be used indefinitely.

[Guest]

I don't know, but I am guessing if you rinse the caps in rubbing alcohol and then water, they can probably be used indefinitely.

Assuming you mean tap water, it is not sterile, so will undo whatever good you did by rinsing them in rubbing alcohol.

If you are going to re-use them and wish to use rubbing alcohol to sterilize them, you are best off just rinsing them in 70% rubbing alcohol and allowing them to air dry (note 70% rubbing alcohol is more effective as a disinfectant than 99% rubbing alcohol... no, not a typo ) The alcohol needs to dry naturally, if you cause it to dry faster by fanning it for example, it will not be as effective at killing any bacteria that may be present.

[Bill Sonoma County]

Good posts. Is there a reference that describes the 70% rubbing alcohol (isopropyl?) effect?

[Guest]

Good posts. Is there a reference that describes the 70% rubbing alcohol (isopropyl?) effect?

Came from a text book I have from my university days... but I'll see if I can find you something on-line...

[Guest]

Here is some info:

"In the healthcare setting,"alcohol" refers to two water-soluble chemicals: ethyl alcohol and isopropyl alcohol. These alcohols are rapidly bactericidal rather than bacteriostatic against vegetative forms of bacteria (Gram + and Gram -); they also are tuberculocidal, fungicidal, and virucidal against enveloped viruses. Alcohols are not effective against bacterial spores and have limited effectiveness against nonenveloped viruses. Their cidal activity drops sharply when diluted below 50% concentration and the optimum bactericidal concentration is in the range of 60-90% solutions in water (volume/volume). The antimicrobial activity of alcohols can be attributed to their ability to denature proteins. Higher concentrations are less effective as the action of denaturing proteins is inhibited without the presence of water "

Source: http://www.bccdc.ca/NR/rdonlyres/EAA...es_nov0503.pdf

That document doesn't discuss much in the way of how much time alcohol needs to work, but it does allude to it by saying "Alcohols require time to work" - to explain (my own explanation), if the alcohol evaporates too quickly (either because you are fanning it to dry faster, or because you use too high a concentration which will therefore evaporate too fast) it will not be as effective in killing off bacteria.

[Bill Sonoma County]

Excellent, gracias. An older article with a few relevant comments but no clear info on actual infection risk is:

Microbial contamination of multiply used preservative-free artificial tears packed in reclosable containers.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18782802

[Guest]

Excellent, gracias.

You're welcome!

An older article with a few relevant comments but no clear info on actual infection risk is:

Microbial contamination of multiply used preservative-free artificial tears packed in reclosable containers.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18782802

A good reminder in that article: "Preservative-free artificial tears in reclosable containers are at risk of contamination in a daily and multiple use setting, especially in patients with a poor administering technique, which is associated with fingertip touch and advanced age."

One can never be too careful - all it takes is brushing your finger against the tip and just like that, it is likely contaminated. The Staphylococcus bacteria that they found is common - we all have staphylococcus living on our skin naturally - it doesn't mean there is anything wrong with us, it's just there. So if you touch the dropper tip, you should assume that staph. has gotten onto the dropper tip and get rid of it - you don't want that stuff multiplying in your eye (it's NOT meant to live there, unlike our skin).

[Bill Sonoma County]

Until I can use up the eleven boxes of incompatible TheraTears that arrived in my last order, I had to come up with a way of putting the dysfunctional dispensers to work without being wasteful. Having read everyone’s ideas, here is one approach:
For daytime use at home, the opened dispenser is kept in the refrigerator in an inverted cup that came from a single-serving apple sauce pack. The slot in the side holds the handle of the dispenser, and unless I’m particularly clumsy, no chance of touching the tip.
For use away from home, the opened dispenser fits nicely in a Revlon eye makeup container. You have to find the thicker containers, approx 15/32 inch, not the prevalent approx 7/16 inch ones which are too thin. This arrangement makes it easy to grab the handle and keep the tip isolated form hands and environment. I keep this thing in my shirt pocket so that it stays upright.
Clean the containers as described in SAAG’s post on alcohol. For nighttime use, I still haven’t come up with a good system.
Thoughts?

[Bill Sonoma County]

Hi friends, here's a little update: After hearing nothing form the FTC in the two months since I submitted a complaint explaining the misleading or false advertising by Akorn of their TheraTears product, and after searching their website for information on the topic, I called FTC and spoke with a complaints counselor. I believe his name was Rob or Ron, though he spoke rapidly and spent most of the conversation repeating some prepared phrases.

It seems that FTC may choose to investigate a complaint or may choose not to. Part of the decision may rest upon the number of complaints received. Rob/Ron would not tell me anything about this complaint but told me to search the website.

As mentioned previously, there were two components to my submission to FTC. First was that the picture on the package did not accurately depict the product contained within, causing consumers to buy a product which did not meet their needs. Second, the packets say that they contain 2.4 ml, but actually they contain less than 2.0 ml.

My complaint reference number is 51668509.
Still have fifteen boxes if anyone is interested

[cathy8889]

Hello, I was just wondering if there was any news on the Thera tears viles? I find them really frustrating and often end up with it all down my face. Ive been carrying open vials round in little plastic sandwich bag but I'm not happy about it and when I open a vial the tip is jagged, not something you want to be putting near your eye! Thanks, Cath

[LaDiva]

Hi Cath,
Write and complain. I have done this three times. The first time was several years ago when those hook-nosed atrocities came out, and the company wrote back saying they were no longer making the hooked nose, and that the regular resealable vials would soon be back in the store. When the store continued to have the hook nosed vials I wrote again and complained, and they said the stores should be getting only the resealable vials soon. This never really quite happened. The third time I complained is when they went to the vials we are now buying that cannot be resealed. When I wrote and complained the third time, the company did not answer my email. I also sent a copy to the board of directors at Alcon. I am an unhappy woman, and generally that is not in my character. I posted a couple of links earlier, but here is another: http://www.alcon.com/contact-us/prod...complaint.aspx. Good luck. They seem to have their fingers in their ears and their feet planted in the ground. When I am done with the boxes I have, I am seriously going to try and find another brand of drops. As I have said, I don't get upset about much of anything, but this one really has me ticked off.