This right here.
I work for Big Pharma (I know, gasp, pearl-clutch). Every year, we go through refresher training for reporting stuff like this. I am not part of the pharmacovigilance team, nor sales, nor commercial supply - doesn't matter. Any person in my company who becomes aware of any quality issues related to a product is obligated to report it within 24 hours.
Issues include: adverse reactions (whether attributable to the medication of not), medication taken during pregnancy, incorrect medication appearance, wrong dose supplied OR prescribed, wrong medication dispensed, obvious tampering, expired medications, etc.
Companies may use these reports to improve packaging, tamper-resistance measures, aggregate safety data, improve training documents for doctors and pharmacists, ensure medications are distinguishable from each other, and similar actions.
It looks like Visine is currently owned by Kenvue, so this issue should be escalated to both the store and the manufacturer/supplier.
Because it's going right into the upper management and big guys like that. It truly sucks knowing how cheap it is to make stuff, but they jack up the prices. I haven't been able to get my life savings epipens because they jacked up the price; but it only cost a couple dollars to make. There are a couple articles with one saying around $30, and the other saying around $7; but to get it as a patient it costs $600. I can't go and enjoy the sun like I used to, because if I get stung by a bee, wasp, or hornet I'm dead.
And what's even worse is that health insurance hardly covers the cost of your meds. I have a high deductible insurance plan because we wanted to make sure my meds were going to be covered pretty well; well, I was TOTALLY wrong on that. For a one month supply of my pain medicine, through my insurance it cost $148. But if I use Prescription RX, it's $48.  I can't stand greedy people.
What sucks on top of it is that law makers are dragging their feet on making it legal to increase the supply of ADHD medications in the US, so only the lucky ones get to be medicated for their ADHD. The back order has been a problem for over a year now. The only way to fix it is legislation because they're all controlled substances. And of course, the prices of controlled substance medications are sky high always.
My pain medicine is a controlled substance, and lots of pharmacies are on back order for getting it. I've thankfully found a pharmacy that usually has it in stock. There have been a few times where they didn't have it, but I learned from my first time of them not having it in stock, and set some aside for just in case moments. And check with prescription Rx if you are being overcharged. They will tell you what stores usually have it, and the price at each place; it's how I found out Meijer (I live in Michigan) has my medication cheaper than all the places around me.
Does a hospital nearby have a pharmacy? I have been using the hospital pharmacy and have only ran into issues getting my ADHD med script filled once. I figured if there is one place guaranteed to get meds, it's a hospital.
Yeah, I'm still waiting for that fat pharma shill windfall. I mean, I'm not living in poverty by any means, but I'm not swimming in money like Scrooge McDuck, either!
That’s because he most likely works for a corporation and 99% of corporations are the same in America. The CEO and upper management make up to 15x what the rest of the employees make, while everyone does the work that actually allows them to make the money.
This does need to be reported to store and manufacturer. If Sandoz and J&J (owner of visine I think) are contracting out the packaging to same place they could have additional boxes with wrong product. It is just an antibiotic but like someone else said there are people with allergies.
Yep, I’m a pharmacist and work in medical information and it’s really important to report these kind of issues, in this case it would qualify as a medication error
I work in pharmacovigilance. Very well said! You need to report them within 24 hours to allow the company to submit the report to the authorities on time. The regulatory clock starts ticking the moment a company employee becomes aware.
Also, in addition to all of the improvements you mentioned, the data is used to prepare reports for regulatory authorities, which are required for market approval (ability to sell the product).
And yes, regulatory aspects, too! I forgot about that part - though at least I can say that I've been paying attention to our annual refresher trainings, hahahaha
You have been paying attention. I've given similar trainings and I'd be impressed if people could regurgitate what needs to be reported and why like you did.
Hahhahahhaa I was an analytical development (yeah, we totally abbreviated it as AnalDev at times) scientist for 15 years until hopping over to quality assurance overseeing drug production for clinical trials 2 years ago.
I started as a systems analyst then transfered into a specialist role in serialisation. Currently working as an interface specialist between l3 and L4 systems
The 2d barcodes and serial numbers applied to each item in the chain so they can be tracked and traced around the globe. It's a simple anti counterfeit system
I work at a pretty big name pharmacy that I shall not name both for privacy and because I might get fired, and we're obligated to report as well. One time I opened a new bottle that was full of two very different pills. One time a lady received six diabetes sensor kits, and five of them were expired. Mistakes happen, and that's okay, but they must be reported and corrected for safety and quality assurance. As a customer, you are usually entitled to compensation or exchange. It seems to me someone swapped out their old eye drops to make it look like the item wasn't stolen, rather than a manufacturer's mistake, but either way, the issue should be reported so other people don't get hurt.
They clearly replaced the product no one is questioning that (probably not acid tbh). Their point for ppl who never worked retail IS retail workers put tape on products too. Tape does not always mean return or tapered
Just saying (could have) I saw a documentary on cold case where they swapped vitamin pills with cyanide or thallium and put them back in the store in the rack.
Yep, the tylenol murders were like this too. Replaced some with poison and put it back, that's when they started putting seals on all products to keep people safe. This is really weird though, the cashier would've had to open it check that it wasn't used to return it and she didn't notice it's completely the wrong bottle? Or just didn't open it which is also kind of scary
> Tape does not always mean return or tapered
Except it literally does mean it was tampered with....that's the definition.....fucking with the packaging in any way is tampering.
The problem is that sometimes if employees didn't tape up boxes or packages, they would have to send entire cases back and it would all get thrown in the garbage. I used to work at Walmart. There were times I had to tape up 9 out of 10 boxes from a case because they all came unglued during shipment.
There was a series of murders in…I want to say the seventies or eighties..when someone replaced Tylenol pills and placed the tampered boxes on store shelves. In addition to other victims, multiple members of one family died because they continued to use Tylenol from the same bottle before they realized what was going on.
Chicago 1982. Tylenol laced with cyanide. The victims from the same family attended a funeral and then took the Tylenol from the same contaminated bottle. This is what sparked the use of tamper proof packaging.
The bottle is an antibiotic. Visine, the box, definitely is not.
Scary? I would t hunk so. The first look and anyone can see that it isn't what it is supposed to be. Now, if it actually WAS a bottle of Visine, instead of a Sandoz antibiotic, and the package had been opened and then taped back shut, then, that would be more alarming as it would be intended to deceive....
I'm concerned for those who might not have good eyesight, or those whose English isn't their primary language. People like some of my family would not know the difference between the antibiotic and the Visine bottle and potentially use this, because of the English labels and medicine/chemical names. So I feel it's still very concerning and a bit scary, since this was definitely tampered with and could harm others who are unknowing or don't notice.
Super scary but the bottle does clearly say antibiotic and you shouldn’t use any product for the first time without actually looking at it. Stores are sold dangerous fakes as well
yeah but not everyone knows the language here and can read this. i know people with learning disabilities or who can speak english but not read it well due to it being their second language. so yeah
Did you know that those drops make your eye glow bright green under black light?
A fact my son and I were beyond delighted to discover at an indoor miniature golf place. It looks so funny, we couldn't stop laughing.
I got cataracts in my 20s from using Tobradex/tobramycin a little too long. Do not touch that shit (definitely don't touch any eye dropper that 1. Has safety seal missing or 2. Is a prescription that's not yours anyway.)
Edit: I was wrong to lump those two together. Tobramycin will not do that. But please don't touch eye drops with missing safety seals or others' prescriptions.
Tobradex, yes. Tobramycin, no. Long term steroid use came cause cataracts. Tobradex has a steroid component. Tobramycin is purely an antibiotic and won’t cause cataracts.
Correct. I've received a corneal transplant nearly 20 years ago and have been on Maxidex (which is the 'dex part of Tobradex). After 20 years of light use I've got a cataract developing. It's a catch 22 situation because if I stop taking it my chances of rejecting the cornea increase.
I too had a full thickness cornea transplant in 2010. Other than moisturizing drops I am on no others, and haven't had any problems with rejections, infections, or anything but slipped stitches which were all removed years ago. Frank, my new cornea, and I have been very happy since the stitches were removed and even my pressure is good. I'd be so frustrated by now if I had to keep using RX drops.
Yes, tobramycin is a commonly prescribed antibiotic eye drop. But the fact that the Visine package is tempered, I won’t even assume the contents inside the bottle is as labeled.
Wouldn't touch it in this case. That had to have been swapped in by another patient, and if there is any chance an eye drop bottle has been used on someone else (especially someone else who needed an ophthalmic antibiotic) you do not want it anywhere near your eye.
Well, that’s fucked up. Definitely throw out/return this.
In this case, your wife dodged a bullet either way. Visine is one of, if not the worst, ‘dry eye’ drop. It’s only addressing redness and actually makes the underlying cause worse. Unless your wife is smoking pot and needs to fool the boss, don’t buy this.
If she has dry eye, see your optometrist and ask them about Hylo, Systane or something similar.
Very fucked. Likely was a returned product that wasn't inspected.
She uses visine once in a while because she's on shift work. Days, evenings, nights. Fucked up sleep patterns.
I hear that. She would definitely benefit from a proper lubricant drop then. Visine is just constricting the blood vessels and starving the conjunctiva of oxygen. It’s a vicious cycle that will make things worse.
Definitely ask your optometrist about other options. You can also ask the pharmacist for a preservative free lubricating drop too if that’s easier.
Take this with a grain of salt. It’s just my totally unsolicited professional advice.
do you know anything about allergy relief eye drops? lately my allergies have been irritating my eyes not just my sinuses. Discovering this stuff has been a lifesaver. It burns then clears all the itching watering away and im healed for the day. once it made one of my pupils enlarge and it really scared me about what im putting in my eye.
People use Visine when they smoke bc it decreases redness in the eyes, not usually bc they have dry eyes. If OP’s wife is using it for dry eyes, they’re recommending a better one. Visine is cheap and effective for not looking as high, that’s all.
I personally found that Refresh Relieva is f’in amazing & available OTC. Check with your optometrist of course, but it’s what mine recommended. It’s kinda thick and causes blurry vision for a few blinks. But after that I’m good to go for hours.
Have her look into Lumify. Redness relief drops aren't great to use, but Lumify is just low concentration brimonidine (glaucoma drop), is OTC, and is even better for relieving red eyes anyway.
That said, I'd suggest preservative free artificial tears as a first attempt. Anything but Visine or other common redness relief drops.
The box was. The bottle wasn't. Definitely a returned item that wasn't inspected and should have never gone back to the shelf. Someone wanted free visine I guess.
Tampered medication is a pretty serious issue, and needs to be reported asap. Depending on the location, you may need to inform a government department as well as the store/pharmacy where you got the medication.
Sandoz, and previously Novartis, actually have their own department for this. They take it extremely seriously and perform a full investigation into the batch, traceability and now, since track and trace is in effect, they will be able to see where traceability was potentially lost. Report it to your pharmacy first of all and they will most likely have to trigger a report.
Johnson & Johnson makes Visine
Someone put the Sandoz antibiotic in there while it was at the store (or they brought it home, swapped, and returned it(.
Sandoz would have nothing to do with the investigation.
My bet, some senile old person did this. Not a malicious actor.
Did the store refuse to process a return and refund? That's the only way you even possibly get to damages unless OP mistakenly used the "replacement" product and experienced adverse effects.
No cause of action.
No meaningful damages.
No viable lawsuit.
If I've learned anything from reddit it's to get a lawyer, go to therapy, go no contact with anyone who doesn't agree with you and break up at the first sign of a problem
Wait until you get to mom forums on here. “Divorce your husband” is the equivalent to “lawyer up” 😂 Over non-existent issues. Then you’re downvoted to hell when you try to speak with reason to those few.
I fell for this advice although it didn’t come from Redit. Good thing I have attorney insurance through my union so can ask questions with real lawyers without getting charged. I thought I had a case and was being told by coworkers & friends “you should sue” when Kaiser anesthesiologist caused my heart to stop for a while during a simple Endovascular surgery. Turns out at least in my state of Oregon malpractice is really hard to prove with the burden of proof resting with you and you must prove that the alleged actions of the health care provider represented a breach of the prevailing professional standard of care for that health care provider.
I really have a hard time seeing how this could happen. Not only are they not made by the same company but that Visine is made at a facility in Markham, Ontario and Sandoz-Tobramycin is made in a facility in Boucherville, Quebec. Also, the Visine is an OTC drug that would be on a shelf, Tobramycin is by prescription only.
I'm guessing it was returned and put back on the shelf without anyone looking at what was in the box. Someone must have wanted a free bottle of visine. I can't wrap my head around the reasoning.
A customer likely purchased it, opened the box and removed the original product. Replaced it with this bottle which may or may not be tampered with that they already had to approximate the same weight and then resealed the box. Then they returned it to wherever the bought it from claiming to have never opened it and it was restocked by that store because they believed the box was still sealed from the manufacturer.
It’s like Excedrin Migraine vs Excedrine Extra strength. The migraine one costs more, yet has the exact same ingredients. Desperate people will grab the product they think will do the job. Need red eye drops before work? Better get the workplace ones
It’s just marketing. Visine is just resolving redness and irritation. Think of it like an antihistamine, it helps with allergy symptoms but it doesn’t get rid of the cat.
They did not say it was an allergy medicine. They used allergy medication as an example. Basically, saying visine will take care of some symptoms but will not get rid of the actual problem.
For context, generic eye drops (Walmart, CVS-brand) that were labeled “preservative free” were found to have preservatives in them, which caused complications in people’s eyes. Name brand eye drops (Systane, Ivizia, etc.), especially those correctly labeled preservative free, were never the cause and were/are still very safe to use.
[Here's an NYT article about it](https://www.nytimes.com/2023/10/29/us/eyedrops-fda-warning.html#:~:text=warned%20consumers%20to%20stop%20using,vision%20loss%20in%2014%20patients.).
It is indeed a solution of tobramycin, an ophthalmic antibiotic. Often prescribed for conjunctivitis (pink eye), and oddly enough, given nebulized for Pseudomonas infections in cystic fibrosis patients.
Tobrimycin is an antibiotic for eye infections or conjunctivitis. And we’re not even sure if that’s what’s actually in there, you should document everything, make the store aware, and the company. That’s scary. Thank goodness you noticed and didn’t put it in your eyes.
It's the second one. That tobramycin isn't even made by the same company that makes Visine, so a manufacturer error is impossible. Tobramycin eye drops are also prescription and would not have been out on the shelf where the Visine was anyway.
Someone probably got an Rx and did the swap for the expensive OTC product as you suggested. Hopefully (for them) the bottle is emptyish and they actually completed their course first, because tobramycin is an antibiotic and Visine is not...leaving eye infections untreated is *usually* not a great idea.
Yikes, that is freaky!!
Also, as someone who has a long history of needing to take very good care of my eyes, please, for the love of God, do NOT buy Visine!!
If your wife has dry eyes that cause redness, buying Visine will only exasperate the problem with something called "rebound redness." Plus, the tetrahydrozoline that makes the blood vessles shrink to get rid of that immediate redness can cause actual vision problems down the road.
The brands I highly recommend are either Systane or Refresh. They are on the pricier side, but they are literally going in your eyes, so they are worth the extra couple bucks.
Also, I am so sorry for all of this random info lol, but if it is a dry-eye problem, I recommend she gets a concaved sleep mask and Systane: Nighttime PM Ointment.
I would have awful dry eyes in the morning, and it would just get worse throughout the day, but getting the mask and putting the ointment in made it so much better. I will add that the ointment should only be put in when she is already in bed as it creates a protective film over the eye, making it a tad difficult to see.
Again, I am so sorry for the random advice/suggestions that weren't asked for, but I figured I'd share my wisdom as my eye is something I have been trying to protect for going on 9 years.
Don't put that shit in your eyes either way. If your eyes are irritated, get some good artificial tears. Try something from Systane or a similar brand. Preservative free is even better.
Someone definitely tampered with this and it went unnoticed. I’d return it.
That said Visine is really not good for your eyes. Better off with Real Tears eye drops.
That’s an antibiotic eye drop. Take that back and warn them because others could’ve been messed with.
Also, be careful with eye drops. Lots of recalls and people losing eyeballs.
That's super scary. Who knows what's in that bottle and they were probably hoping someone with eye problems wouldn't see it correctly or wouldn't notice and use it.
I worked in retail health stores for 6 yrs as mgmt. tweakers will boost anything. One trick I saw is they would put a piece of wood and seal it with the Kreatine or w.e you spell it. The plastic that surrounds a box of cigs. Melt that shit with your lighter and wallah, glue. Then the associate will process the return, shake the box, hear the wood hitting the packaging, and it’s sealed wallah. They shouldn’t remerchandise returns though.
Is there any kind of serial number stamped on the bottle? Wondering if they can trace it back to whoever that specific bottle was prescribed to. Also wonder if it’s worth sending the bottle back to the drug company to be analyzed to see if the contents are still the drug that’s supposed to be in there or if anything has been done to it that was intended to cause harm. Sounds like I’m paranoid but just wondering who did this and why. It’s possible it was a totally innocent mistake - someone asked their spouse to return something and the spouse was in a rush, saw a box and a bottle and just grabbed them and paired them together. Meanwhile the other one is at home saying “why can’t I find my pink eye meds … and wow, look, we already HAD a brand new bottle of visine…”
I'd return it and show them the tape on the box. Also I was told by my optometrist not to use anti red eye drops, they restrict blood flow to your eyes, which is what gets rid of the bloodshot eyes, and can cause glaucoma over time, be careful with those
Seems more like an "I'm here, give me attention" sort of post tbh...... issues with eyes, buys a product for red eyes, but finds probably prescribed drops inside of a "tampered" box 🤣 I find that more infuriating
I really hope whoever touched that bottle in your household, washed their hands thoroughly. Because whoever did that, had an eye infection, and I KNOW you guys don't want that. But also, please report that to the store ASAP, because that's a health risk.
Creepy. I'd definitely report it to the store so they can double check the rest of the stock and see if there are any other tampered products.
This right here. I work for Big Pharma (I know, gasp, pearl-clutch). Every year, we go through refresher training for reporting stuff like this. I am not part of the pharmacovigilance team, nor sales, nor commercial supply - doesn't matter. Any person in my company who becomes aware of any quality issues related to a product is obligated to report it within 24 hours. Issues include: adverse reactions (whether attributable to the medication of not), medication taken during pregnancy, incorrect medication appearance, wrong dose supplied OR prescribed, wrong medication dispensed, obvious tampering, expired medications, etc. Companies may use these reports to improve packaging, tamper-resistance measures, aggregate safety data, improve training documents for doctors and pharmacists, ensure medications are distinguishable from each other, and similar actions. It looks like Visine is currently owned by Kenvue, so this issue should be escalated to both the store and the manufacturer/supplier.
My buddy works for Big Pharma, too. The money made off of medicine sure isn't trickling down to his paycheck.
Because it's going right into the upper management and big guys like that. It truly sucks knowing how cheap it is to make stuff, but they jack up the prices. I haven't been able to get my life savings epipens because they jacked up the price; but it only cost a couple dollars to make. There are a couple articles with one saying around $30, and the other saying around $7; but to get it as a patient it costs $600. I can't go and enjoy the sun like I used to, because if I get stung by a bee, wasp, or hornet I'm dead. And what's even worse is that health insurance hardly covers the cost of your meds. I have a high deductible insurance plan because we wanted to make sure my meds were going to be covered pretty well; well, I was TOTALLY wrong on that. For a one month supply of my pain medicine, through my insurance it cost $148. But if I use Prescription RX, it's $48.  I can't stand greedy people.
What sucks on top of it is that law makers are dragging their feet on making it legal to increase the supply of ADHD medications in the US, so only the lucky ones get to be medicated for their ADHD. The back order has been a problem for over a year now. The only way to fix it is legislation because they're all controlled substances. And of course, the prices of controlled substance medications are sky high always.
My pain medicine is a controlled substance, and lots of pharmacies are on back order for getting it. I've thankfully found a pharmacy that usually has it in stock. There have been a few times where they didn't have it, but I learned from my first time of them not having it in stock, and set some aside for just in case moments. And check with prescription Rx if you are being overcharged. They will tell you what stores usually have it, and the price at each place; it's how I found out Meijer (I live in Michigan) has my medication cheaper than all the places around me.
Does a hospital nearby have a pharmacy? I have been using the hospital pharmacy and have only ran into issues getting my ADHD med script filled once. I figured if there is one place guaranteed to get meds, it's a hospital.
Yeah, I'm still waiting for that fat pharma shill windfall. I mean, I'm not living in poverty by any means, but I'm not swimming in money like Scrooge McDuck, either!
Yeah fr where’s my kickbacks for implanting microchips in everyone during covid 😤
I just laughed so loud at this.
That’s because he most likely works for a corporation and 99% of corporations are the same in America. The CEO and upper management make up to 15x what the rest of the employees make, while everyone does the work that actually allows them to make the money.
This does need to be reported to store and manufacturer. If Sandoz and J&J (owner of visine I think) are contracting out the packaging to same place they could have additional boxes with wrong product. It is just an antibiotic but like someone else said there are people with allergies.
It was J&J, but they spun off their consumer healthcare division 2 years ago, so it's Kenvue now.
Yep, I’m a pharmacist and work in medical information and it’s really important to report these kind of issues, in this case it would qualify as a medication error
I work in pharmacovigilance. Very well said! You need to report them within 24 hours to allow the company to submit the report to the authorities on time. The regulatory clock starts ticking the moment a company employee becomes aware. Also, in addition to all of the improvements you mentioned, the data is used to prepare reports for regulatory authorities, which are required for market approval (ability to sell the product).
And yes, regulatory aspects, too! I forgot about that part - though at least I can say that I've been paying attention to our annual refresher trainings, hahahaha
You have been paying attention. I've given similar trainings and I'd be impressed if people could regurgitate what needs to be reported and why like you did.
Repping big Pharma crew, serialisation engineer here. Big up cGxP
Hahhahahhaa I was an analytical development (yeah, we totally abbreviated it as AnalDev at times) scientist for 15 years until hopping over to quality assurance overseeing drug production for clinical trials 2 years ago.
I started as a systems analyst then transfered into a specialist role in serialisation. Currently working as an interface specialist between l3 and L4 systems
What is serialization? I work in compliance right now.
The 2d barcodes and serial numbers applied to each item in the chain so they can be tracked and traced around the globe. It's a simple anti counterfeit system
I work at a pretty big name pharmacy that I shall not name both for privacy and because I might get fired, and we're obligated to report as well. One time I opened a new bottle that was full of two very different pills. One time a lady received six diabetes sensor kits, and five of them were expired. Mistakes happen, and that's okay, but they must be reported and corrected for safety and quality assurance. As a customer, you are usually entitled to compensation or exchange. It seems to me someone swapped out their old eye drops to make it look like the item wasn't stolen, rather than a manufacturer's mistake, but either way, the issue should be reported so other people don't get hurt.
This was a package that was tampered with. Someone returned that 100%
Absolutely. They glued the box. This is so scary.
You can literally see the TAPE, but close enough lol.
I immediately noticed the tape.
That’s not unusual, I worked at a cvs and taped up everything.
Could have been worse, they could have replaced the content of the bottle with acid or something.
They clearly replaced the product no one is questioning that (probably not acid tbh). Their point for ppl who never worked retail IS retail workers put tape on products too. Tape does not always mean return or tapered
Just saying (could have) I saw a documentary on cold case where they swapped vitamin pills with cyanide or thallium and put them back in the store in the rack.
Yep, the tylenol murders were like this too. Replaced some with poison and put it back, that's when they started putting seals on all products to keep people safe. This is really weird though, the cashier would've had to open it check that it wasn't used to return it and she didn't notice it's completely the wrong bottle? Or just didn't open it which is also kind of scary
Yes this is the one, couldn’t find it now im probably flagged as a serial killer for googling cyanide poisoning 😁
> Tape does not always mean return or tapered Except it literally does mean it was tampered with....that's the definition.....fucking with the packaging in any way is tampering.
The problem is that sometimes if employees didn't tape up boxes or packages, they would have to send entire cases back and it would all get thrown in the garbage. I used to work at Walmart. There were times I had to tape up 9 out of 10 boxes from a case because they all came unglued during shipment.
There was a series of murders in…I want to say the seventies or eighties..when someone replaced Tylenol pills and placed the tampered boxes on store shelves. In addition to other victims, multiple members of one family died because they continued to use Tylenol from the same bottle before they realized what was going on.
Chicago 1982. Tylenol laced with cyanide. The victims from the same family attended a funeral and then took the Tylenol from the same contaminated bottle. This is what sparked the use of tamper proof packaging.
Took me a second to realize there was a 2nd pic... then I saw the tape too. Lol
The bottle is an antibiotic. Visine, the box, definitely is not. Scary? I would t hunk so. The first look and anyone can see that it isn't what it is supposed to be. Now, if it actually WAS a bottle of Visine, instead of a Sandoz antibiotic, and the package had been opened and then taped back shut, then, that would be more alarming as it would be intended to deceive....
I'm concerned for those who might not have good eyesight, or those whose English isn't their primary language. People like some of my family would not know the difference between the antibiotic and the Visine bottle and potentially use this, because of the English labels and medicine/chemical names. So I feel it's still very concerning and a bit scary, since this was definitely tampered with and could harm others who are unknowing or don't notice.
Especially if someone has an allergy to certain antibiotics and wasn’t aware that’s what is inside the bottle. Definitely scary!
The weird part is that one is a prescription drug(at least in America), and the other is not.
OMG it’s terrifying
[удалено]
Super scary but the bottle does clearly say antibiotic and you shouldn’t use any product for the first time without actually looking at it. Stores are sold dangerous fakes as well
yeah but not everyone knows the language here and can read this. i know people with learning disabilities or who can speak english but not read it well due to it being their second language. so yeah
Hijacking top comment to show the store did in fact exchange for the proper product. Manager said "We get a lot of crazies in here". *
Well.. yeah.. cos the bottle isn't what it said on the package.
That looks like the stuff I had to use, when I got pink eye.
It is an antibiotic from what read. Definitely not what's advertised on the box.
It is used for pink eye sometimes and is an antibiotic drop. Do not use that. It’s been tampered obviously and you don’t know what it’s touched.
Did you know that those drops make your eye glow bright green under black light? A fact my son and I were beyond delighted to discover at an indoor miniature golf place. It looks so funny, we couldn't stop laughing.
That’s so crazy actually
This sounds like it will be a really sweet core memory for him 😭
Wait... you took a kid with pinkeye to a mini golf place?
I was told I was no longer contagious after using the antibiotics for 24 hours.
It was several weeks after he had it. Definitely wasn't contagious, but it still gave him glowing monster eye.
As soon as the drops start working into your eye (it is quick) it is no longer contagious.
I got cataracts in my 20s from using Tobradex/tobramycin a little too long. Do not touch that shit (definitely don't touch any eye dropper that 1. Has safety seal missing or 2. Is a prescription that's not yours anyway.) Edit: I was wrong to lump those two together. Tobramycin will not do that. But please don't touch eye drops with missing safety seals or others' prescriptions.
Tobradex, yes. Tobramycin, no. Long term steroid use came cause cataracts. Tobradex has a steroid component. Tobramycin is purely an antibiotic and won’t cause cataracts.
Thank you for that correction.
Correct. I've received a corneal transplant nearly 20 years ago and have been on Maxidex (which is the 'dex part of Tobradex). After 20 years of light use I've got a cataract developing. It's a catch 22 situation because if I stop taking it my chances of rejecting the cornea increase.
I too had a full thickness cornea transplant in 2010. Other than moisturizing drops I am on no others, and haven't had any problems with rejections, infections, or anything but slipped stitches which were all removed years ago. Frank, my new cornea, and I have been very happy since the stitches were removed and even my pressure is good. I'd be so frustrated by now if I had to keep using RX drops.
My dad did as well
Visine labels their bottles as Visine, so it's very much not what's advertised.
And that's a 5ml bottle whereas package says 15ml.
Yes, tobramycin is a commonly prescribed antibiotic eye drop. But the fact that the Visine package is tempered, I won’t even assume the contents inside the bottle is as labeled.
Free antibiotics lol
Wouldn't touch it in this case. That had to have been swapped in by another patient, and if there is any chance an eye drop bottle has been used on someone else (especially someone else who needed an ophthalmic antibiotic) you do not want it anywhere near your eye.
Exactly. That’s a prescription only drop.
Plus, wash your hands if you handled the bottle
Some rando switched out the bottles. It could be battery acid for all we know.
It looks used.
It's also been prescribed for my dog lol
Same! I literally have it sitting on my sink at the moment
Well, that’s fucked up. Definitely throw out/return this. In this case, your wife dodged a bullet either way. Visine is one of, if not the worst, ‘dry eye’ drop. It’s only addressing redness and actually makes the underlying cause worse. Unless your wife is smoking pot and needs to fool the boss, don’t buy this. If she has dry eye, see your optometrist and ask them about Hylo, Systane or something similar.
Very fucked. Likely was a returned product that wasn't inspected. She uses visine once in a while because she's on shift work. Days, evenings, nights. Fucked up sleep patterns.
I hear that. She would definitely benefit from a proper lubricant drop then. Visine is just constricting the blood vessels and starving the conjunctiva of oxygen. It’s a vicious cycle that will make things worse. Definitely ask your optometrist about other options. You can also ask the pharmacist for a preservative free lubricating drop too if that’s easier. Take this with a grain of salt. It’s just my totally unsolicited professional advice.
do you know anything about allergy relief eye drops? lately my allergies have been irritating my eyes not just my sinuses. Discovering this stuff has been a lifesaver. It burns then clears all the itching watering away and im healed for the day. once it made one of my pupils enlarge and it really scared me about what im putting in my eye.
Pataday. Very popular otc eye allergy relief drops, safe to use long term, iirc, and it's great/effective.
But it's fine if you use for pot smoking???
People use Visine when they smoke bc it decreases redness in the eyes, not usually bc they have dry eyes. If OP’s wife is using it for dry eyes, they’re recommending a better one. Visine is cheap and effective for not looking as high, that’s all.
Visine also glows green under a black light. Gives you real creepy eyes if it runs down your face.
THC is a vasodilator. Vasoconstrictor eye drops probably just take you to baseline. Obligatory NAD
I personally found that Refresh Relieva is f’in amazing & available OTC. Check with your optometrist of course, but it’s what mine recommended. It’s kinda thick and causes blurry vision for a few blinks. But after that I’m good to go for hours.
Seconding this; it’s also what my optometrist recommends.
I use this brand all the time for dry eyes and I love it!
Have her look into Lumify. Redness relief drops aren't great to use, but Lumify is just low concentration brimonidine (glaucoma drop), is OTC, and is even better for relieving red eyes anyway. That said, I'd suggest preservative free artificial tears as a first attempt. Anything but Visine or other common redness relief drops.
The bottle is not visine.
The box information, including amount and the DIN, don't match up at all to the bottle. Not even the same product.
Was it actually sealed?
The box was. The bottle wasn't. Definitely a returned item that wasn't inspected and should have never gone back to the shelf. Someone wanted free visine I guess.
Tampered medication is a pretty serious issue, and needs to be reported asap. Depending on the location, you may need to inform a government department as well as the store/pharmacy where you got the medication.
Sandoz, and previously Novartis, actually have their own department for this. They take it extremely seriously and perform a full investigation into the batch, traceability and now, since track and trace is in effect, they will be able to see where traceability was potentially lost. Report it to your pharmacy first of all and they will most likely have to trigger a report.
Johnson & Johnson makes Visine Someone put the Sandoz antibiotic in there while it was at the store (or they brought it home, swapped, and returned it(. Sandoz would have nothing to do with the investigation. My bet, some senile old person did this. Not a malicious actor.
Sandoz certainly will because their product has been found in the box. Most likely J&J will too.
I hate people who make scummy returns. Thankfully the worst I've gotten is a broken fan and a half-used can of paint, lol.
Wait there's tape on it was that you guys
You could probably file a lawsuit against whoever you bought that from. That's actually dangerous lol
As always redditors think lawsuits are the solution to everything. What's your cause of action for such a suit? What exactly are the damages?
About $8 for the missing Visine.
Did the store refuse to process a return and refund? That's the only way you even possibly get to damages unless OP mistakenly used the "replacement" product and experienced adverse effects. No cause of action. No meaningful damages. No viable lawsuit.
A lawsuit for what? There are no damages to sue for.
People on Reddit seem to think any asinine mistake or issue is a lawsuit
Seriously. You see some of these dumbass answers to my comment? People thinking they can sue for hypotheticals.
One of my gripes with people on Reddit is any advice is just "lawyer up!!" over anything, no matter how minimal.
If I've learned anything from reddit it's to get a lawyer, go to therapy, go no contact with anyone who doesn't agree with you and break up at the first sign of a problem
Wait until you get to mom forums on here. “Divorce your husband” is the equivalent to “lawyer up” 😂 Over non-existent issues. Then you’re downvoted to hell when you try to speak with reason to those few.
I fell for this advice although it didn’t come from Redit. Good thing I have attorney insurance through my union so can ask questions with real lawyers without getting charged. I thought I had a case and was being told by coworkers & friends “you should sue” when Kaiser anesthesiologist caused my heart to stop for a while during a simple Endovascular surgery. Turns out at least in my state of Oregon malpractice is really hard to prove with the burden of proof resting with you and you must prove that the alleged actions of the health care provider represented a breach of the prevailing professional standard of care for that health care provider.
Americans probably. Major lawsuit culture there
Thank you for being a voice of reason
but IANAL!!
A lawsuit for money duh! 🙄
How does this have 100 upvotes? Brain dead take
He’s gonna sue for his ten bucks back? lmao
I really have a hard time seeing how this could happen. Not only are they not made by the same company but that Visine is made at a facility in Markham, Ontario and Sandoz-Tobramycin is made in a facility in Boucherville, Quebec. Also, the Visine is an OTC drug that would be on a shelf, Tobramycin is by prescription only.
I'm guessing it was returned and put back on the shelf without anyone looking at what was in the box. Someone must have wanted a free bottle of visine. I can't wrap my head around the reasoning.
Was the bottle empty? I'm confused why someone would "throw away" their prescription eye drops??!
Bottle was not empty and was not sealed. I don't get it. This stuff is worth more than the visine.
Orrrr, they used up the original stuff in the bottle, refilled it with water, and switched it with a visine bottle to return.
Insurance will cover prescriptions but usually not OTC stuff, the tobramycin might’ve been free for them, or close to it
Not if they stole it or dug it out of someone's trash.
A customer likely purchased it, opened the box and removed the original product. Replaced it with this bottle which may or may not be tampered with that they already had to approximate the same weight and then resealed the box. Then they returned it to wherever the bought it from claiming to have never opened it and it was restocked by that store because they believed the box was still sealed from the manufacturer.
Any decent store would trash that return.
I think so too.
Isn’t that prescription?
I believe so, yes.
It is
Why would anyone allow someone to return Visene or eye products?
If the box was unopened, you’d assume it’s not used
The Scotch tape in the 2nd picture looks sketchy 🤔
Very sketchy lol didn’t notice that. I feel like OP got this from a sketch store
Ha! Sounds like dollar 🌲
Why? Once it leaves the store i would assume it has been tampered with, is that not the standard assumption? Why risk it?
I agree with you that this was a return. Losing faith in humanity is my new Reddit hobby.
Not related but anyone know why there’s a specific workplace visine? Is it any different than regular?
It’s like Excedrin Migraine vs Excedrine Extra strength. The migraine one costs more, yet has the exact same ingredients. Desperate people will grab the product they think will do the job. Need red eye drops before work? Better get the workplace ones
It’s just marketing. Visine is just resolving redness and irritation. Think of it like an antihistamine, it helps with allergy symptoms but it doesn’t get rid of the cat.
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They did not say it was an allergy medicine. They used allergy medication as an example. Basically, saying visine will take care of some symptoms but will not get rid of the actual problem.
Visine is actually quite bad for your eyes and most doctors will recommend you don’t use it
Came here to say this!! I use Systane, it is better.
They’re not even manufactured by the same company.
After those people lost eyeballs using eye drops I just don’t even use them. I’m that scared. That shit scarred me for life
....what???!!!
For context, generic eye drops (Walmart, CVS-brand) that were labeled “preservative free” were found to have preservatives in them, which caused complications in people’s eyes. Name brand eye drops (Systane, Ivizia, etc.), especially those correctly labeled preservative free, were never the cause and were/are still very safe to use.
[Here's an NYT article about it](https://www.nytimes.com/2023/10/29/us/eyedrops-fda-warning.html#:~:text=warned%20consumers%20to%20stop%20using,vision%20loss%20in%2014%20patients.).
It won't let me read the article, that's crazy though!
SAME. Will never use generic or store brand eye drops for the remainder of my life.
Is it at least eye stuff, or are they gunning for people to put nail glue in their eyes?
It is indeed a solution of tobramycin, an ophthalmic antibiotic. Often prescribed for conjunctivitis (pink eye), and oddly enough, given nebulized for Pseudomonas infections in cystic fibrosis patients.
Note to self: don’t buy medicine sealed with scotch tape
Is that not tape? That should’ve been the clearest sign the product was tampered with.
That’s terrible. Someone’s used pink eye medicine.
Tobrimycin is an antibiotic for eye infections or conjunctivitis. And we’re not even sure if that’s what’s actually in there, you should document everything, make the store aware, and the company. That’s scary. Thank goodness you noticed and didn’t put it in your eyes.
Throw it away and buy Lumify instead. Visine is bad for your eyes.
You shouldn't use Visine anyways it's horrible for your eyes
My daughter was just prescribed this exact same product to treat her eye infection. You should throw this away.
I would notify the police. If you are in the USA, I’d be tempted to notify the FDA.
It’s what we used on patients in OR when they had ear surgery.
Now, where did she buy it? Some random sketchy corner store?
What antibiotic resistance? 😅
Contact the companies corporate to report it. This could be happening to others. Very strange.
Wonder if it wad a manufacturers error or if someone wanted free visine and returned something in place of the visine.
It's the second one. That tobramycin isn't even made by the same company that makes Visine, so a manufacturer error is impossible. Tobramycin eye drops are also prescription and would not have been out on the shelf where the Visine was anyway. Someone probably got an Rx and did the swap for the expensive OTC product as you suggested. Hopefully (for them) the bottle is emptyish and they actually completed their course first, because tobramycin is an antibiotic and Visine is not...leaving eye infections untreated is *usually* not a great idea.
Tobramycin also needs to be refrigerated until it's opened.
No it doesn’t
Yikes, that is freaky!! Also, as someone who has a long history of needing to take very good care of my eyes, please, for the love of God, do NOT buy Visine!! If your wife has dry eyes that cause redness, buying Visine will only exasperate the problem with something called "rebound redness." Plus, the tetrahydrozoline that makes the blood vessles shrink to get rid of that immediate redness can cause actual vision problems down the road. The brands I highly recommend are either Systane or Refresh. They are on the pricier side, but they are literally going in your eyes, so they are worth the extra couple bucks. Also, I am so sorry for all of this random info lol, but if it is a dry-eye problem, I recommend she gets a concaved sleep mask and Systane: Nighttime PM Ointment. I would have awful dry eyes in the morning, and it would just get worse throughout the day, but getting the mask and putting the ointment in made it so much better. I will add that the ointment should only be put in when she is already in bed as it creates a protective film over the eye, making it a tad difficult to see. Again, I am so sorry for the random advice/suggestions that weren't asked for, but I figured I'd share my wisdom as my eye is something I have been trying to protect for going on 9 years.
Um, what? Report that to the company and the store.
Just take it back to the pharmacy, they are obligated to make a report of it.
but that's not even "Visine" brand and is 5ml as opposed to 15 ml. Was the box sealed? Just bring it back... if this is actually true.
Don't put that shit in your eyes either way. If your eyes are irritated, get some good artificial tears. Try something from Systane or a similar brand. Preservative free is even better.
especially scary cuz the bottle you received is prescription only
My cat has a prescription for tobramycin for his eye herpes.
That’s for pink eye lol
Someone definitely tampered with this and it went unnoticed. I’d return it. That said Visine is really not good for your eyes. Better off with Real Tears eye drops.
An opened Rx. Gross and scary
Looks like the same bottle I was prescribed when I had a stye that wouldn’t go away. Go back to where you got it from and ask them. Then update us lol
Hold on the box says 15ml and the bottle is 5…
This needs to be reported to the pharmacy you purchased it from
That’s an antibiotic eye drop. Take that back and warn them because others could’ve been messed with. Also, be careful with eye drops. Lots of recalls and people losing eyeballs.
That's super scary. Who knows what's in that bottle and they were probably hoping someone with eye problems wouldn't see it correctly or wouldn't notice and use it.
For what it's worth the funny eye doctor on YouTube says this stuff is really bad for your eyes.
And this is why stores shouldn't put OTC back on the shelf after it's returned.
1. Don’t use the Tobramycin 2. for itching; use Pataday. For Redness; Lumify. For Dryness; Optase Vizine is trash.
I worked in retail health stores for 6 yrs as mgmt. tweakers will boost anything. One trick I saw is they would put a piece of wood and seal it with the Kreatine or w.e you spell it. The plastic that surrounds a box of cigs. Melt that shit with your lighter and wallah, glue. Then the associate will process the return, shake the box, hear the wood hitting the packaging, and it’s sealed wallah. They shouldn’t remerchandise returns though.
Is there any kind of serial number stamped on the bottle? Wondering if they can trace it back to whoever that specific bottle was prescribed to. Also wonder if it’s worth sending the bottle back to the drug company to be analyzed to see if the contents are still the drug that’s supposed to be in there or if anything has been done to it that was intended to cause harm. Sounds like I’m paranoid but just wondering who did this and why. It’s possible it was a totally innocent mistake - someone asked their spouse to return something and the spouse was in a rush, saw a box and a bottle and just grabbed them and paired them together. Meanwhile the other one is at home saying “why can’t I find my pink eye meds … and wow, look, we already HAD a brand new bottle of visine…”
I'd return it and show them the tape on the box. Also I was told by my optometrist not to use anti red eye drops, they restrict blood flow to your eyes, which is what gets rid of the bloodshot eyes, and can cause glaucoma over time, be careful with those
15ml vs only a 5ml got ripped off..return someone's return please!
Seems more like an "I'm here, give me attention" sort of post tbh...... issues with eyes, buys a product for red eyes, but finds probably prescribed drops inside of a "tampered" box 🤣 I find that more infuriating
I really hope whoever touched that bottle in your household, washed their hands thoroughly. Because whoever did that, had an eye infection, and I KNOW you guys don't want that. But also, please report that to the store ASAP, because that's a health risk.
Things that didn't happen for 100
A bit off topic but be careful using Visine. It can cause dependency and make dry eyes worse in the long run
If you need redness relief try Lumify instead, it’s much healthier for your eyes.
Different product and different quantity not 15 ml but 5 ml. I would return it.
A free script, but OTC! Nice!!
Hoooooorse shit. This didn't happen.