Article: Overuse of eye drops wasteful

Overusing eye drops can be wasteful and even dangerous, Public Citizen warns on its Web site, www.WorstPills.org. And the labels of many prescription eye drops may even encourage overuse. Citing the June 19 issue of The Medical Letter on Drugs and Therapeutics, a new posting at WorstPills recommends using only one drop at a time, or at least within five minutes.

The eye can't hold more than 10 microliters of liquid at a time, but a droplet from an eye dropper can contain 25 to 50. The excess medicine has only two places to go -- down the cheek like an expensive tear, or through a small duct in the corner of the eye, into the nose and finally into the bloodstream, ...

Related newspaper, magazine, and journal articles:

 
 
Newsweek Harper's Magazine The Washington Post Chicago Tribune Crain's Chicago Business PRNewswire Pediatric News The Nation Advertising Age The Economist (US) A FREE trial gives you access to over 80 million articles! Access over 6,500 publications with a FREE trial!