Is the new eye drop introduced as a replacement to eyeglasses effective?
You
are referring to Vuity®, a 1.25% solution of an old glaucoma eye drop called
pilocarpine. Realize this is NOT going to help myopia (nearsightedness) or most
kinds of astigmatism at all. It is only going to (possibly) help people
in the process of losing their near vision from Presbyopia, the farsightedness
of middle age.
While
pilocarpine is a rather safe medicine known to us for years, its use does
produce some undesirable side-effects, often diminished vision under dark or
night-time conditions. In my experience as a refractive ophthalmologist, I find
it works best in people age 40-49 with good distance vision, no cataract
formation, and who are not bothered by the constricted pupil it causes.
_Written by J. Trevor Woodhams, M.D. - Chief
of Surgery, Woodhams Eye Clinic