Adverse effects of preservatives in eye drops

Zdeňka Šklubalová (sklubalo@faf.cuni.cz)

Department of Pharmaceutical Technology, Charles University in Prague, Faculty of Pharmacy in Hradec Králové, Czech Republic

Summary

Since microbial contamination of ophthalmic preparation may induce serious disease of eye, all products intended for use in the eye regardless of form must be sterile. Eye preparations in multi-dose containers should contain suitable antimicrobial agent. However, there are strict constrains on the use of preservatives in the eye preparations as the cornea can be easily damaged by the application of chemical agents. This article reviews adverse ocular effects of preservatives commonly used in eye drops and factors relating their ocular irritation as well as the alternatives to their use.