MSO's Gethin Sladen, Thorndon Eye clinical optometrist Frances Misich and AFT's Deanna Loudec at CCLS NZ 2024

After a long wait and countless requests over many years from the country’s glaucoma specialists, preservative-free (PF) eye drops for glaucoma patients are now available in New Zealand.

Deanna Loudeac, AFT Pharmaceuticals account manager, said it was exciting to launch Vizo-PF Dorzolatim eye drops at CCLS NZ’s 2024 conference in Wellington and finally to supply a preservative-free drop to the market.

According to the Medsafe documentation, Vizo-PF Dorzolatim is indicated in the treatment of elevated intraocular pressure in patients with ocular hypertension, open-angle glaucoma, pseudoexfoliative glaucoma or other secondary open-angle glaucomas and those who are insufficiently responsive to topical beta-blocker monotherapy. Available in a multi-dose bottle, as well as being preservative free, the solution is isotonic, buffered and contains no antimicrobial agents. The recommended dose is one drop twice daily.

Although the drops aren’t funded through Pharmac yet, an application will be resubmitted next year, said Loudeac.