pilocarpine
Vuity (pilocarpine) eye drops is a prescription eye drop that's used to treat presbyopia, an age-related condition in which you have trouble seeing objects clearly that are close to you. This medication belongs to the drug class called cholinergic agonists. Vuity (pilocarpine) eye drops is approved for use in adults. It's typically used once per day, but you can use another drop 3 to 6 hours later if needed. Side effects include headache, red eyes, and blurry vision.
What is Vuity (pilocarpine) eye drops?
What is Vuity (pilocarpine) eye drops used for?
Presbyopia (age-related farsightedness) in adults
How Vuity (pilocarpine) eye drops works
Vuity (pilocarpine) eye drops is a cholinergic agonist. It works by attaching to proteins in your eye called acetylcholine receptors. This causes the muscles in your eye to contract (squeeze), which makes your pupils smaller. It helps you see objects that are close to you better.
Drug Facts
More on Vuity (pilocarpine) eye drops essentials
What are the side effects of Vuity (pilocarpine) eye drops?
Common Side Effects
- Headache (14%)
- Vision problems (4%)
- Red eyes (3%)
- Eye irritation (3%)
Other Side Effects
- Eye pain
- Watery or teary eyes
- Blurry vision
- Changes in vision
- Nausea
Serious Side Effects
- Retinal detachment (or retinal tear): seeing floaters, seeing flashing lights, seeing gray or black spots, dimming of your vision, vision loss
Source:Â DailyMed
The following side effects have also been reported
Along with its needed effects, a medicine may cause some unwanted effects. Although not all of these side effects may occur, if they do occur they may need medical attention.
Check with your doctor as soon as possible if any of the following side effects occur:
Symptoms of too much medicine being absorbed into the body
Increased sweating
muscle tremors
troubled breathing or wheezing
watering of mouth
Less common or rare
Some side effects may occur that usually do not need medical attention. These side effects may go away during treatment as your body adjusts to the medicine. Also, your health care professional may be able to tell you about ways to prevent or reduce some of these side effects. Check with your health care professional if any of the following side effects continue or are bothersome or if you have any questions about them:
More common
Blurred vision or change in near or far vision
decrease in night vision
Other side effects not listed may also occur in some patients. If you notice any other effects, check with your healthcare professional.
Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to the FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.
Pros and cons of Vuity (pilocarpine) eye drops
Pros
First and only FDA-approved medication to treat farsightedness
Only need to use it once a day
Generally well tolerated with few side effects
Cons
Might take a month to work at its best
Available by prescription only
No lower-cost generic available
Pharmacist tips for Vuity (pilocarpine) eye drops
Wash your hands before and after you use Vuity (pilocarpine) eye drops. To avoid spreading germs into the medication and possibly getting eye infections, don't touch the dropper tip to any surface, including your eye or eyelids. Don't touch the tip with your hands.
How to use Vuity (pilocarpine) eye drops: Tilt your head backward and look up. Then, gently pull your lower eyelid down to form a small pocket and squeeze one drop of medication into this pocket. Close your eyes and press a finger against the inside corner of your eye for about 1 minute to help the medication stay in your eye.
Vuity (pilocarpine) eye drops can cause blurry vision and dim or dark vision. It can also make it harder to see in the dark. Don't drive until the effects of the medication have completely worn off, especially if you need to drive at night. Also be careful if you need to do anything in dim lighting.
Get medical help right away if you notice sudden flashing lights, floaters, gray or black spots, or vision loss. These can be signs of a retinal tear or of retinal detachment.
If you wear contact lenses, remove them before you place Vuity (pilocarpine) eye drops in your eye. Wait at least 10 minutes after you use the medication before putting your contacts back in. This is because Vuity (pilocarpine) eye drops have a preservative in it that can damage contact lenses.
If you're using other eye drop medications in addition to Vuity (pilocarpine) eye drops, be sure to wait 5 minutes between each medication so that your eye can fully absorb each medication.
Keep the Vuity (pilocarpine) eye drops bottle capped and closed tightly when you're not using it. Store the medication at room temperature; don't place it in the refrigerator or freezer. You can continue to use the same bottle until it reaches the expiration date written on the bottle.
Tell your optometrist if you’re pregnant, planning to become pregnant, or are breastfeeding. Your optometrist can help you decide whether Vuity (pilocarpine) eye drops are right for you.
Frequently asked questions about Vuity (pilocarpine) eye drops
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What are the risks and warnings for Vuity (pilocarpine) eye drops?
Vuity (pilocarpine) eye drops can cause some serious health issues. This risk may be even higher for certain groups. If this worries you, talk to your doctor or pharmacist about other options.
For use in the eye only
Only place Vuity (pilocarpine) eye drops onto the surface of the eye. Don't apply Vuity (pilocarpine) eye drops to any other area of your body.
Risk of retinal tear or retinal detachment
Though rare, some people who used Vuity (pilocarpine) eye drops reported developing a retinal tear or retinal detachment, which are serious eye problems. Follow up with your optometrist to get your scheduled vision tests done so your optometrist can check for these eye problems. Seek medical help right away if you notice flashes of light, see floaters, or have vision loss. These can be signs of a retinal tear or of retinal detachment.
Use properly to avoid eye injury and eye infections
Be careful not to let the bottle tip touch your eye or any other surface. This help you avoid eye injury. It also helps prevent the medication from getting contaminated with germs, which helps prevent eye infections (e.g., pink eye).
Damage to contact lenses (when used in the eye)
Vuity (pilocarpine) eye drops contain a preservative called benzalkonium chloride. This preservative can get absorbed into soft contact lenses and damage them. Take your contacts out before you use the eye drops. Wait at least 10 minutes after you use the medication if you need to put them back in.
Vuity (pilocarpine) eye drops dosage forms
Typical dosing for Vuity (pilocarpine) eye drops
The typical dose is 1 drop in each eye once a day. If needed, you can place one more drop in each eye 3 to 6 hours after the first drop.
Interactions between Vuity (pilocarpine) eye drops and other drugs
Using this medicine with any of the following medicines is usually not recommended, but may be required in some cases. If both medicines are prescribed together, your doctor may change the dose or how often you use one or both of the medicines.
- Tegafur
How much does Vuity (pilocarpine) eye drops cost?
Vuity (pilocarpine) eye drops contraindications
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References
Best studies we foundAbbVie Inc. (2023). Vuity- pilocarpine hydrochloride solution/ drops [package insert]. DailyMed.
Ahn, J., et al. (2021). Binding affinity of benzalkonium chloride on contact lens surfaces and the effects on their physical properties. Colloids and Surfaces B: Biointerfaces.
Lievens, C. W., et al. (2024). Pilocarpine HCl 1.25% for treatment of presbyopia after laser vision correction: Pooled analysis of two phase 3 randomized trials (GEMINI 1 and 2). Journal of Cataract & Refractive Surgery.
National Eye Institute. (2021). How to put in eye drops.
Nietgen, G. W., et al. (1999). Muscarinic receptor functioning and distribution in the eye: Molecular basis and implications for clinical diagnosis and therapy. Eye.
Waring, G. O., 4th, et al. (2022). Safety and efficacy of AGN-190584 in individuals with presbyopia: The GEMINI 1 phase 3 randomized clinical trial. Journal of the American Medical Association Ophthalmology.
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