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Latanoprost Eye Drop

Medication Information Leaflet

What is this medication for?

Latanoprost belongs to a class of medications called prostaglandin analogues, which is used to treat glaucoma. Glaucoma is a condition where the nerve in the eye is damaged, and is usually associated with increased eye pressure. Untreated glaucoma can affect your eyesight and cause blindness. Latanoprost helps to lower the pressure in your eye by increasing drainage of fluid in the eye.

How should I take or use this medication?

Proper use of eye drop

Wash your hands with soap and water, and read the instructions on the label.
Tilt your head backwards and look up.
Gently pull the lower eyelid down to form a pocket and squeeze the bottle to apply one drop into your eye. To prevent the tip of the bottle from getting dirty, make sure the tip does not touch the eye or any other surface.
Close your eyes gently and wipe off any excess eye drops around your eyes with a clean tissue.
Keep your eyes closed and press down gently on the inner corner of your eye for 1 to 2 minutes to allow the medication to be absorbed.
If you need to use more than 1 drop of medication, or if you are using another type of eye drop, wait at least 5 to 10 minutes before applying the next eye drop. This is to prevent the first drop of medication from being washed away by the second drop before it has time to work. This also prevents any medication interactions between different eye drops.
If your doctor prescribed both eye drops and eye ointments, you should use the eye drops first.
Click on this link for a step-by-step guide on how to apply eye drops https://www.healthhub.sg/a-z/medications/A-Step-By-Step-Guide-On-How-To-Instil-Eye-Drops

For contact lens wearers, remove your contact lens before each application of medication.
Do not stop using your medication without checking with your healthcare professional.

What should I do if I forget to take or use this medication?

If you forget to use a dose, use it as soon as you remember. Then use your next dose at the usual time. Do not use two doses to make up for the missed dose.

What precautions should I take when taking or using this medication?

Inform your healthcare professional if:

You are allergic to this medication or any of the other ingredients of this medication.
You are pregnant, planning to become pregnant, or breastfeeding.
You are taking any other medications, including supplements, traditional medications and herbal remedies.

What are some common side effects of this medication?

Stinging or burning sensation
Redness
Itchiness
Eye dryness and irritation
Eyelid skin darkening and eyelash changes (increased length, thickness, darkening and/or number of eyelashes)

Close your eyes gently and wipe off any excess eye drops around your eyes with a clean tissue after application. Avoid repeated contact of the eye drop with the skin.

If these side effects happen and do not go away, check with your healthcare professional as soon as possible.

Iris darkening may occur due to gradual increase in the amount of brown pigment and result in permanent change in eye colour. This side effect is observed mainly in patients with mixed coloured irides, i.e. blue-brown, grey-brown, yellow-brown and green-brown.

What are some rare but serious side-effects that I need to seek medical advice immediately?

The symptoms of a drug allergy include one or more of the following:

Swollen face/eyes/lips/tongue
Difficulty in breathing
Itchy skin rashes around your eyes or over your whole body

If you experience any of these symptoms, you should stop your medication and see your healthcare professional immediately.

How should I store this medication?

For unopened bottles, store in the refrigerator between 2 - 8⁰C. Do not freeze.

Once the bottle is opened, it may be stored at room temperature, in a cool and dry place, away from direct sunlight.

Keep this medication away from children.

Record the date opened on the eye drop bottle. Discard this medication one month after opening.

How do I throw away this medication safely?

Pack this medication into a black trash bag and seal it tightly before throwing into the rubbish chute or bin.

Disclaimer

If you take more than the recommended dose, please seek medical advice immediately. The information provided on this page does not replace information from your healthcare professional. Please consult your healthcare professional for more information.

This article is jointly developed by members of the National Medication Information workgroup. The workgroup consists of cluster partners (National Healthcare Group, National University Health System and SingHealth), community pharmacies (Guardian, Unity and Watsons) and Pharmaceutical Society of Singapore. The content does not reflect drug availability and supply information in pharmacies and healthcare institutions. You are advised to check with the respective institutions for such information.

Last updated on Jun 2021

This article was last reviewed on Monday, September 06, 2021