dorzolamide single dose units

[YoungontheOutside]

I posted here a few weeks ago about being made to switch from small bottles of Dorzolomide to single dose units. (Both are preservative-free.) I have now moved over to these and have to say the plastic units are so badly made as to be barely usable. Once I finally get into the foil pack (I have to search around for scissors every five units to open it because it won’t tear open), it takes the strength of Hercules to rip the heads off them. I then tip the unit up and the liquid moves at a snail’s pace until it is ready to drip out (squeezing doesn’t seem to work) and then half the it time misses my eye because it doesn’t drip evenly or properly?

What is the point of this cheaply made unenvironmental product which is delivering eyedrops in such a hit or miss way such as to jeopardise peoples eyesight???

Should I take this up with my dispensing pharmacist this time, on the grounds of unuseableness or address my concerns to my consultant? I have three months worth to get through before my next repeat prescription.

Signed,

Very very cross indeed 😖

[Marg75]

Although I recognise they are environmentally not good I find the single dose more useable for me. I don’t have any trouble using them and I did have a problem with the bottles! So I think that it is horses for courses as they say

[Nala2509]

personally I prefer the single doses, I find them much easier to use and more accurate in putting in one drop in each eye..

[Tequilasunrise]

You can get a free dispensing aid (plastic!) from Glaucoma UK. I find the individual phials vary, but give the more gluggy ones a sharp shake up and down before inserting into the dispenser. Works fine for me. Hope it does for you!

[whitedog]

Are these the same as the Monopost single units? They come in foil packs of 10 so I keep a small pair of scissors on the bathroom sill to open them when needed.

I can twist the top off but, if the arthritis in my hands is bad, I use a pair of mini pliers to hold and squeeze. I also have to use the pliers for my prednisolone minims as they are awkward little things and hard for me to squeeze now.

Seems a lot of waste though, both in the plastic that is discarded every day to the amount of liquid when, in my case, I'm only using one drop of it in one eye.

[Beecalmed in reply to whitedog]

No I believe Monoprost is Lantanoprost which is a very thin fluid liquid and easily issues from a phial.

Preservative free Dorzolamide is more like glue! It is a very effective drop for some of us though, but boy is it slow to issue! 😂

[Senara in reply to whitedog]

Yes they are, I have both.

[Islandhome]

I personally prefer the single dose units. I shake it to have all the liquid in the tip, snip top off with scissors and use as usual. I keep the used ones in a bag to return to chemist for disposal.

[Beecalmed]

Hi! Firstly, I sympathise with you. Preservative free Dorzolamide is completely different to any other drop I’ve been prescribed and believe me I’ve tried quite a few since diagnosis!

Preservative free Dorzolamide is very very thick! I felt like I was sitting waiting for the drop to drop for a long time. I can hold my eye open for a long time but even I would blink just as the drop drops. I can only image how difficult it would be to get pure preservative free dorzolamide out of a tiny phial. And yes I’ve used single use phials before too, but with different drop and it was a much more fluid liquid.

So I use preservative free; the brand name Eydelto. It does not need to be stored in the fridge and in fact is slightly more fluid and easier to administer when it’s at room temperature. Phials can freeze in the fridge as there do little lows do another thing to check storage on packaging.

I appreciate others comments that they like it, but everyone is different and has slightly different needs. So I would check your letter from the consultant and see if single use was specified, it may be that you need to maintain strict hygiene and single use is best for you. But if it isn’t listed, then I would approach the chemist and ask about having it in a bottle and just have the conversation firmly but politely. Single use are usually more expensive to issue than in a bottle so I’d be surprised if they won’t be open to the change.

If chemist conversation fails then I’d email consultants secretary and explain the issue. The hospital wants you to be compliant in taking your drops. You don’t need an additional barrier to taking them so any change to help should be accommodated. Good luck! 👍🏻

[Sentientbeings]

hi there I share your angst with this brand. My pharmacy give me “Cosopt” which is another name for the brand these little plastic phials have a twist off top and the Squeezy bit is softer and much easier to use. Ease of use is paramount my clinic always ask if I have trouble in administering the drops.I tell them so far so good 😊

One tip on anyone reading this no need to shake for liquid just flick it with your finger same job done with less effort xx

[YoungontheOutside]

Thank you everyone for all your replies. The problem is not just with the actual liquid, but with the tiny phial itself, as sometimes the seal does not twist off cleanly. I don’t have this problem with the Monopost ones, and assume that the Dorzolomide ones have been cheapened off. All in all, they defeat the purpose of administering the drop more effectively than from a bottle, whilst at the same time costing more, and being completely unenvironmental.

[Gyfers]

That’s interesting - I started out with the large bottle, branded Eyedelto, and found it unusable - almost impossible to squeeze the bottle, hard to get only one drop, couldn’t tell when the bottle was running out etc.

So I was switched to single use, branded Trusopt, and they’re so much better. I don’t have any problem twisting off the tops. I do my drops lying down in bed, so before I administer it, I make sure to hold the vial facing down and give it a squeeze to get the drops to the bottom, before then positioning and squeezing into my eye.

[Gayjoy55]

I have got used to the single drops but my issue is how do I recycle the plastic? It’s such a waste. ( at the moment I put the used plastic into a plastic milk carton so that hopefully the plastic is recycled)

[Raydelekker]

I know exactly what you're talking about. I was on Cosopt for a decade (no problems using it) and then put onto a range of other drops and tablets. Then just after having a Baerveldt implant, I needed to go onto dorzolamide and timolol again but I noticed the brand being prescribed was no longer 'Cosopt' but some cheaply made drops in a London factory by a company called Brown & Burk. 1, I couldn't open the vials, 2, if I did manage to cut them open then nothing would come out. I emailed them to complain and copied in the Medicines and healthcare products regulatory agency and am still awaiting a response. Luckily I no longer need to use that combination as I now only use Fixapost after my tube shunt.

[YoungontheOutside]

Thank you Raydelekker . At last someone who gets it! I had an appointment at the Virtual Clinic today and have asked to be put back on to the bottle so to speak, rather than the single dose units, so I’ll see if they will do it for me.