Dry eye preparations Flashcards
what is the most general way to improve dry eyes
using ocular lubricants
how many % of the total ophthalmic drugs do artificial tears contribute to in the UK
33%
why are artificial tears not exactly the same as natural tears
because lots of glands contribute to natural tears which artificial tears can’t mimic
other than functioning as lubricants, what do some more recent formulations mimic
the electrolyte composition of human tears (e.g.TheraTears®)
what are the 3 forms that ocular lubricants are available as and what are they used to treat
- eyedrops
- gels
- ointments
used to treat the discomfort associated with conditions in which the tear film is reduced or unstable
what are lubricant eye ointments also used in the treatment of as well as the discomfort associated with conditions in which the tear film is reduced or unstable
the treatment of recurrent corneal erosions
what are the majority of dry eye preparations available as and who can they be sold and supplied by
over the counter (P medicines, GSL or CE marked products) and can be sold and supplied by optometrists
what are the most commonly used drugs in optometric practice
ocular lubricants
what are the 2 foremost objectives in caring for patients with dry eye disease
- to improve the patient’s ocular comfort and quality of life and
- to return the ocular surface and tear film to the normal homeostatic state
symptoms can rarely be ____________, they can often be __________ with ocular lubricants
symptoms can rarely be eliminated, they can often be improved with ocular lubricant
what did a systematic review conclude about artificial tears
that they improved the condition of the exposed ocular surface in patients with dry eye, based on Rose Bengal staining as the primary outcome measure.
However, there was no statistical difference in the efficacy of the various formulations
list 4 limitations that the treatment of dry eye with ocular lubricants has
- Formulation cannot replace complexity of natural tears
- Administered intermittently rather than continuously as with natural tears. Therefore formulated to increase their contact time e.g. mucoadhesive polymers
- Choice of therapy is determined by the severity of the condition (taking into account the lifestyle and dexterity of the patient)
- The presence of preservatives in artificial tears can compromise the ocular surface following prolonged use
what is the recommended treatment of ocular lubricants for mild dry eye disease
Artificial tears up to 4x per day
what are the recommended treatments of ocular lubricants for moderate dry eye disease
- Unpreserved artificial tears up to 12x per day with lubricating ointment at night
- Tear conservation
what are the recommended treatments of ocular lubricants for severe dry eye disease (name 3)
- Immunotherapy e.g. cyclosporin
- Autologous therapy (serum)
- Tear conservation
what is the name of the recommended immunotherapy treatment for severe dry eye disease
cyclosporin
list the 7 types of formulations that ocular lubricants are available in
- Cellulose esters
- Carbomers
- Polyvinyl alcohol
- Sodium hyaluronate
- Lubricating ointments
- Acetyl cysteine
- Liposomes (liposomal spray)
what type of products are ocular lubricants increasingly available stand what does this stand for
- available as CE–marked products
- These are ‘medical devices’ (similar to contact lens solutions) and therefore not regulated by the Medicines Act
if a product is a medical device which is CE marked, what are they not regulated by
the medicines act
because ocular lubricants are increasingly available as medical devices, what is a limit as a consequence
their availability on NHS prescriptions
what advantage do mucoadhesive properties in ocular lubricants have, and what are they available as
- Increased contact time with the ocular surface
as they are more sticky - available as mucoadhesive viscous gels
- most are polymers (artificial molecules)
what are the side affects associated with mucoadhesive viscous gels
- blurring
- sticky lids
what is the most commonly prescribed formulation of ocular lubricants and name 4 examples
Cellulose esters
e. g.
- hypromellose
- hydroxyethylcellulose
- methylcellulose
- carboxymethylcellulose
which formulation of drugs are viscoelastic polysaccharides
Cellulose esters
what is an advantage of the Cellulose ester formulation of ocular lubricants
Good retention time on ocular surface
what is a disadvantage of the Cellulose ester formulation of ocular lubricants
Can cause crusting of eyelids mimicking blepharitis
what two forms of packaging are the Cellulose ester formulations of ocular lubricants available as
- unit dose preservative free
or - multi dose
which type of ocular lubricant formulation is the cheapest and thus available on the NHS
Cellulose ester
which type of molecule are the ocular lubricant formulation, carbomers
Synthetic polymers
name 2 advantages of the carbomer formulation of ocular lubricants
- Good retention time on ocular surface
- Good viscosity when eyes open shear thin during blinking
what is a disadvantage of the carbomer formulation of ocular lubricants
- Tends to blur vision
what causes the viscosity of tears to be decreased
if applying a force when blinking
what behaviour does the tear fluid display
non-Newtonian behaviour
what are the majority of solutions unaffected by
the shear rate
which type of molecule are the ocular lubricant formulation, Polyvinyl alcohol
Synthetic polymers
Polyvinyl alcohol formulations have low….
viscosity