Letters: September 28

Along with the anonymous writer of ‘Eye drop concerns’ last week, I too have for some time been perturbed at the ongoing use of Benzalkonium chloride as an eye drop preservative – in part because I have a family member with glaucoma who has been forced by BAK sensitivity to revert to the less effective Timoptol from Xalatan. Timoptol apparently is the only glaucoma medication available in unpreserved unit dose form.

I have raised this with more than one ophthalmologist, gaining the impression that the ophthalmological world does not consider BAK sensitivity to be a significant problem. It was also pointed out that any change in preservative would have to be validated by the drug firms with extensive and expensive trials – and if it (mostly) works, why spend megabucks to fix it for the minority where it doesn’t?