The unused portion of Trusopt drops must be discarded no longer than 28 days after the bottle is first opened. Patients should remove their lenses prior to Trusopt administration and wait at least 15 minutes after instilling the drops before re-inserting their lenses. The most frequent adverse reactions to dorzolamide noted in clinical trials have been headache and a burning sensation in the eye. 5 Allergic reactions occur in about three per cent of patients, and present as conjunctivitis, eyelid swelling and itchy eyes. When dorzolamide is stopped, its concentration in erythrocytes falls quickly and then very slowly, with an elimination half-life of approximately four months.
Pharmacists can also be active in educating people about glaucoma.
One-half of people with loss of vision caused by glaucoma are not aware that they have the disease. Most people are not diagnosed until late in the disease process, when the optic nerve is so severely damaged that vision is impaired. Initially, they may have blind spots only in the peripheral vision. Public awareness about the risk factors for glaucoma must be increased. Advancing age increases the likelihood of developing the disease.