Preserved to preservative free prostaglandin analogues in primary open angle glaucoma

Glaucoma affecting 60 million people all over the world and it will be 80 million till 2020. There are approximately 11.2 million persons aged 40 years and older with glaucoma in India. Primary open angle glaucoma (POAG) is commonest type, affecting 2/3rd of glaucoma patients. POAG is estimated to affect 6.48 million persons. The estimated number with primary angle-closure glaucoma is 2.54 million. POAG develops gradually and take long time to get detected and require long term treatment with topical prostaglandin analogues (PGF2) which is the most common as well as most widely used drugs. These PGF2 analogues need to be taken for longer time and more prone to develop adverse drug reactions. Common ADR seen with PG analogues are irritation on instillation, foreign body sensation, dryness of eyes, pain in eye, increased pigmentation of iris, increased eyelash growth, changes in periorbital sulcus and fat. Some ADRs (Adverse Drug Reaction) are explained by the inherent properties of Prostaglandins and those are not explained are because of preservative used in medication and these ADRs can be minimised by using preservative free drug like Tafluprost which are having same efficacy in decreasing IOP. [Int J Basic Clin Pharmacol 2013; 2(6.000): 696-704]