Ganfort - is it preservative free?

[tcpace]

My consultant prescribed Ganfort eye drops because they're supposed to be preservative free and I had been having problems (soreness) with other eye drops. However, I note from the accompanying leaflet that they contain the preservative benzalkonium chloride which is a preservative. Just wondering if anyone can explain how Ganfort can be preservative-free yet contain a preservative. I'm asking because I'm still getting sore eyes - maybe it's a dry eye issue rather than the Ganfort.

[Beecalmed]

Hi tcpace! I have no experience of Ganfort but I do have experience of reactions to preservatives and some eye drops, so understand you need to sort this out. I just googled Ganfort preservative free and it does appear to exist and as single dose units. The product I found was called Ganfort Pf. Do you have the letter from your consultant with the change of prescription on it? Check what the consultant has prescribed and that your pharmacy/doctor haven’t missed it should be preservative free. If necessary you may need to call your consultants secretary to clarify. I had a miserable year with allergic reaction to preservatives until I got preservative free, so I do empathise with your frustration and eye discomfort! Hope you get this sorted soon. 👍🏻

[Beecalmed in reply to Beecalmed]

Here’s what I found online but obviously I don’t know the percentage of bimatoprost and timolol you need but there is a preservative free Ganfort out there:

Ganfort Preservative Free Eye Drops, 30 Unit Doses

Glaucoma Treatment

Preservative Free Single dose eye drops

The active substances are bimatoprost 0.3 mg/ml and timolol 5 mg/ml

Prescription Only Product

[tcpace in reply to Beecalmed]

Thanks. I'll check it out with my GP.

[Cornwalleyes in reply to tcpace]

Hi those are the ones I use as I wear contact lenses so need preservative free. They always seem to take a week to get to the doctors after I’ve ordered them, unlike my other drops, so it maybe they are a bit harder to get hold of.

[Trish_GlaucomaUK Partner]

Hello tcpace.

Ganfort is also available as a preservative free option which should come in individual vials or possibly a bottle with a small blister on the top.

If your drops are in a normal drop bottle, it will contain preservative. I would check with the pharmacy. It could be a mistake on their part or the wrong details on the prescription.

If the prescription reads Ganfort and not Ganfort preservative free, you will need to get back to your GP to check.

If preservative free isn't mentioned, it will need to be changed.

[tcpace in reply to Trish_GlaucomaUK]

Thanks. I didn't know that Ganfort came in 2 flavours (with and without preservative). I'll check it out with my GP.

[tcpace in reply to tcpace]

It turns out that the GP prescribed the wrong form of Ganfort. Thanks Trish & Beecalmed for your helpful input. Hopefully the sore eyes issue will now be resolved.

[Kestrel01]

Hello. I am using Ganfort preservative free eye drops. The Ganfort comes in little single dose vials that are wrapped in a foil pouch, 10 vials per pouch. I've just checked the box and information leaflet and mine do not contain benzalkonium chloride. I too am allergic to the preservatives used in the bottles so my consultant switched me to preservative free about ten years ago. Perhaps you are using a different type of Ganfort but definitely worth a phone call to your consultant's secretary or check what is written on your prescriptions when you take them to the pharmacist. My pharmacist is very particular and will only give preservative free if my GP has written that on the prescription.

Good luck and hope you get the drops sorted.

[tcpace in reply to Kestrel01]

Thanks Kestrel. They had been supplying me with Ganfort in the bottle. My eyes were getting sore so I tried some Optrex which helped a bit but as the soreness persisted it occurred to me that maybe they had prescribed me the wrong "flavour" of Ganfort, especially as the leaflet stated that the drops contained the preservative benzalkonium chloride! Until I posted here, I wasn't aware that there were 2 "flavours" of Ganfort, In fact the consultant said she was prescribing Ganfort because it was preservative-free so I had no reason to suspect that it also came in a preservative-containing formulation. Looking back at the consultant's letter to the GP, I can see what probably happened. The reference to "preservative-free" was present but not prominent and the GP surgery apparently missed it. Just goes to show - you really have to scrutinise things closely when it comes to healthcare as the "experts" are just as prone to mistakes as the rest of us.