31 Dec AzaSite is Not Available in Pharmacies
AzaSite is Not Available in Pharmacies
AzaSite is the eye drop form of the very popular antibiotic azithromiacin. Its popularity is in part due to the fact it only has to be used once per day.
Azasite Eye Drops Decrease Dry Eye Symptoms in Some Patients
Azasite is FDA approved for conjunctivitis (pink eye) but many optometrists have noticed that it helps with the type of problems that are caused by poor oil production. This created great excitement among eye doctors that could now help these patients suffering from eye pain.
Meibomitis
The eyelids have glands that secret oil onto the eyes. This oil helps keep tears from evaporating so your eyes stay moist. In a condition called meibomitis, the oil in these glands congeals and stops flowing, causing red, burning eyes. By congeal I mean it becomes more thick like butter instead of thin like oil so it wont flow.
Some feel that bacteria in the oil glands makes the oil congeal and the AzaSite eye drop helps remove these bacteria. In addition, AzaSite has anti-inflammatory properties that decrease redness and swelling in these glands that further allows the oil to flow.
These assertions are off label observations.
The AzaSite Eye Drop can Help Prepare Your Eyes For LASIK or Cataract Surgery
If your oil glands are plugged and your eyes are uncomfortable, then AzaSite eye drops are often a great choice to help prepare your eyes for LASIK or cataract surgery.
AzaSite: An Eye drop without a Home
A couple of years ago, Merck Pharmaceuticals bought Inspire, the drug company that owned AzaSite. We were all excited thinking Merck would invest in getting further FDA approvals and, most importantly, receive approval to have more drug in the tinny bottles so it would last longer for patients. This did not happen.
Several weeks ago pharmacies began to run out of AzaSite eye drops and at first Merck described this as temporary, but they have since announced that they have sold the product to the drug maker Akorn for 50 million dollars.
We do not know how long the shortage will last but we can hold onto hope that Akorn will make this drug available again soon and hope against hope that they will develop this drug and make it easier and more cost effective for patients.
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