Download Genteal Gel Essay - San Luis Obispo Eye Associates

689 Tank Farm Rd., Ste. 100
San Luis Obispo, CA 93401
(805) 781-3937 • fax (805) 781-9013
234 Heather Court
Templeton, CA 93465
(805) 434-5970 • fax (805) 434-5973
An Essay on the Periodic Unavailability of GenTeal Gel®
enTeal Gel® is a water-based gel-like ocular lubricant widely used for the treatment of dry eye
syndrome, dysfunctional tear syndrome, keratitis sicca, Sjögren’s syndrome, and other ocular surface
diseases. It has numerous advantages over other products on the market, including price, long duration of
lubricant effect, water solubility, and a lesser degree of
visual blurring than petrolatum or lanolin-based products. Many of our patients have come to depend on this
product to maintain their visual acuity, comfort and ocular health.
G
Every year or so, GenTeal Gel® will become in short
supply or disappear completely from the marketplace,
sometimes for months at a time. At these times, even
the wholesalers and drug distributors appear unable to
get the product. Our office has been told that the manufacturer will typically make up a large batch intended to
last about a year. However, patient demand will often
deplete the supply before the manufacturer is scheduled
to make another batch.
In the event that you are unable to find GenTeal Gel®
on the shelf at your local pharmacy, we recommend you
speak to the pharmacist directly. In order to prevent
hoarding of the product, some pharmacies will keep
Genteal Gel® behind the counter. Some pharmacies
also tend to keep a smaller supply on hand than demand
would warrant. So if you can’t find it, don’t hesitate to
ask your pharmacist. If the product is available from
their wholesaler they can order it for you and have it on
hand in a day or two.
And make sure you are purchasing the correct stuff.
There are several other products by the same manufacturer that have almost the same name. Genteal Gel® is
the only one that will come in a tube rather than a bottle.
Also, Genteal Gel® has a secondary label stating SEVERE in white letters on an orange or red background.
If it says anything but SEVERE on the secondary label,
it’s not Genteal Gel®.
Should you wish to contact Novartis Pharmaceuticals
and express your opinion, you may call their customer
service department at (888) 669-6682, Monday - Friday,
8:30am - 5:00pm EST, or you may write to them at:
Customer Interaction Center, Novartis Pharmaceuticals
Corporation, One Health Plaza, East Hanover, New Jersey 07936-1080.
In the event that Genteal Gel® truly is not available,
the following list of products can be tried as possible
substitutes. We prefer lanolin-free ointments because of
the potential for lanolin allergy.

Company
Product name
Comments
Allergan
Refresh Liquigel drops
Runnier than Genteal Gel, effect not as long-lasting
Allergan
Refresh Celluvisc drops
Similar to Refresh Liquigel but preservative-free
TheraTears
LiquidGel drops
Runnier than Refresh LiquiGel and Celluvisc, not really a gel
B&L
Moisture-Eyes PM ointment
Petrolatum-based ointment, lanolin-free
Ciba
HypoTears PM ointment
Petrolatum-based ointment, lanolin-free
Ocumed
Ocu-Lube ointment
petrolatum-based ointment, lanolin-free
Alcon
DuraTears ointment
petrolatum-based ointment, contains lanolin
Allergan
Lacri-Lube ointment
petrolatum-based ointment, contains lanolin
Allergan
Refresh-PM ointment
petrolatum-based ointment, contains lanolin
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