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
Side effects of Vuity (pilocarpine) eye drops
The following side effects may get better over time as your body gets used to the medication. Let your healthcare provider know immediately if you continue to experience these symptoms or if they worsen over time.
Common Side Effects
- Headache (14%)
- Vision problems (4%)
- Red eyes (3%)
- Eye irritation (3%)
Less Common Side Effects
- Eye pain
- Watery or teary eyes
- Blurry vision
- Changes in vision
- Nausea
Vuity (pilocarpine) eye drops serious side effects
Contact your healthcare provider immediately if you experience any of the following.
- Retinal detachment (or retinal tear): seeing floaters, seeing flashing lights, seeing gray or black spots, dimming of your vision, vision loss
The following Vuity (pilocarpine) eye drops 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.
Get your GoodRx coupon
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.
Common questions about Vuity
Studies showed that Vuity significantly improved people's ability to see close objects compared to placebo after about a month of use. About 30% of people who used Vuity once a day for a month were able to see at least 3 more lines on a near-vision test when they took the eye exam 3 hours after using the drops. Follow up with your optometrist or ophthalmologist about how well the medication is working for you.
Vuity typically start to work after about 15 minutes. The medication's effects can last up to 6 hours.
Remove your contact lenses before putting Vuity into your eyes. Wait at least 10 minutes after you place the drop of medication into your eyes if you need to put your contacts back on.
Ask your optometrist or ophthalmologist about using Vuity after cataract surgery or LASIK. This medication hasn't been studied in people who've had cataract surgery. The eye drops are used to treat presbyopia (farsightedness), which happens because the lens in your eyes have trouble focusing on objects up close as you age. Cataract surgery replaces the lens in your eye with an artificial one to help with vision, so you might not need Vuity afterwards. On the other hand, studies show that Vuity can still help with presbyopia for people who've had LASIK. LASIK is a laser treatment for blurry vision; it changes the shape of the cornea (the outermost layer of the eye) and doesn't affect the lens of the eye.
Yes. If you need to, you can place a second drop of Vuity (pilocarpine) in each eye 3 to 6 hours after your first drop of the day. Check in with your optometrist or ophthalmologist if this dosing schedule is right for you or if you notice that you're constantly needing to use a second drop each day. Your optometrist or ophthalmologist will discuss with you about your treatment plan.
Yes, you should use Vuity every day because it can take up to a month to see improvements in vision from treatment. Discuss with your optometrist or ophthalmologist about how well Vuity are working for you and how often you should use them.
It's not known whether Vuity can help people with astigmatism. There haven't been any studies done that look at using Vuity for astigmatism. Speak with your optometrist or ophthalmologist about your treatment options if you have astigmatism. Treatment typically includes glasses, contact lenses, and surgery.
No, Vuity aren't available over the counter. You'll need a prescription from your optometrist or ophthalmologist.
How to save using GoodRx
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
Eye dropper| Dosage | Quantity | Price as low as | Price per unit |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2.5ml of 1.25% | 1 eye dropper | $26.50 | $26.50 |
| 5ml of 1.25% | 1 eye dropper | $39.66 | $39.66 |
Typical dosage 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
Although certain medicines should not be used together at all, in other cases two different medicines may be used together even if an interaction might occur. In these cases, your doctor may want to change the dose, or other precautions may be necessary. When you are taking this medicine, it is especially important that your healthcare professional know if you are taking any of the medicines listed below. The following interactions have been selected on the basis of their potential significance and are not necessarily all-inclusive.
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
Contraindications are specific health conditions or situations in which a person should not take a medication due to safety concerns. If you have any of the following conditions or if any of the following apply to you, let your healthcare provider know because Vuity (pilocarpine) eye drops will not be safe for you to take.
News about Vuity (pilocarpine) eye drops
Vuity (pilocarpine) eye drops images
