Atropine 2% eye drops
Requires a prescription from a doctor or prescriber
Atropine is an alkaloid originally synthesized from Atropa belladonna.
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Official medicine documents
Safety monitoring data
Yellow Card reports
The MHRA Yellow Card scheme collects reports of suspected side effects from healthcare professionals and patients. View the Drug Analysis Profile (iDAP) for real-world adverse reaction data.
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Suspected adverse reactions reported for Atropine
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Data from the MHRA Yellow Card scheme. A reported reaction does not necessarily mean the medicine caused it. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
EudraVigilance
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Suspected adverse reactions reported for Atropine
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EudraVigilance data is published by the European Medicines Agency (EMA). A suspected adverse reaction is not necessarily caused by the medicine.
1 branded products available
Therapeutically similar medicines
Similarity based on WHO Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical (ATC) classification and NHS BNF section grouping. Source data: NHS dm+d via TRUD (OGL v3.0), WHO ATC/DDD Index.
Clinical guidelines and formulary information
British National Formulary
Atropine
Source: British National Formulary, NICE. Joint Formulary Committee. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
NICE clinical guidance(4)
Care of dying adults in the last days of life (NG31)
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Parkinson's disease in adults (NG71)
Alair bronchial thermoplasty system for adults with severe difficult to control asthma (MIB71)
Source: National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE). Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Check stock at pharmacies and supply information
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Supply & product information
Official product databases and supply status monitoring
Pharmacy links redirect to the retailer's own search and do not represent real-time stock levels. emc (electronic medicines compendium) is operated by Datapharm Ltd. Shortage information sourced from NHS Specialist Pharmacy Service (SPS), sps.nhs.uk.
Codes for healthcare professionals and prescribing systems
These codes are used by healthcare IT systems and prescribers to identify this medicine.
NHS UK identifiers
Browse tools
SNOMED CT and dm+d codes from NHS TRUD (Technology Reference data Update Distribution), licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. BNF codes from NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA). ATC codes from the WHO Collaborating Centre for Drug Statistics Methodology (whocc.no).
Active and completed clinical studies from ClinicalTrials.gov
Source: ClinicalTrials.gov, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine (NLM), National Institutes of Health (NIH). Data accessed via ClinicalTrials.gov API v2. Trial information is provided for research purposes and does not constitute medical advice.
Pharmacology and chemical data from DrugBank
Key facts
Drug status
Approved
Major interactions
None known
Half-life
2 to 4 hours
Mechanism
Atropine binds to and inhibits muscarinic acetylcholine receptors, competitively…
Food interactions
2 warnings
Human targets
8 targets
Data: DrugBank · CC BY-NC 4.0
Pharmacokinetics at a glance
Absorption
4 mg
Half-life
2 to 4 hours
[A251670][L42835]…
Protein binding
14%
[L42815]
Volume of distribution
1.7 L/kg
Metabolism
[L42815][L42825][L42835]…
Elimination
13 to 50%
[L42815][L42825][L42835]…
Clearance
6.8 mL/min/kg
Pharmacokinetic data: DrugBank · CC BY-NC 4.0
[L42815][L42835]
The intramuscular use of atropine in the form of a pen injector is indicated for the treatment of poisoning by susceptible organophosphorus nerve agents having cholinesterase activity as well as organophosphorus or carbamate insecticides in adult and pediatric patients.
[L42825]
The ophthalmic use of atropine is indicated for mydriasis, cycloplegia, and penalization of the healthy eye in the treatment of amblyopia.
[L42830]
In combination with difenoxin or diphenoxylate (tablets for oral use), atropine is indicated as adjunctive therapy in the management of acute nonspecific diarrhea.
[L42840][L42865]
Known interactions with other medications. Always consult a healthcare professional.
Showing 50 of 1229 interactions
[L42835]
In cases of severe intoxication, atropine can cause a circulatory collapse, leading to a decline in blood pressure and respiratory failure that may ensue in death following paralysis and coma.
[L42825][L42835]
In case of atropine overdose, supportive treatment should be administered. Provide artificial respiration with oxygen if respiration is depressed, and follow cooling methods to reduce atropine-induced fever, especially in pediatric patients.
In case of urinary retention, catheterization may be required. Atropine is mainly eliminated through the kidney; therefore, urinary output must be maintained and increased if possible. In case of atropine-induced photophobia, the room should be darkened.
[L42825]
A short-acting barbiturate or diazepam may be given as needed to control marked excitement and convulsions; however, large doses should be avoided since central depressant action may coincide with the depression that occurs late in atropine poisoning.
Central stimulants are not recommended.
[L42835]
The acute oral toxicity (LD50) of atropine in mice is 75 mg/kg.
[L42850]
At an adequate dose, atropine abolishes different types of reflex vagal cardiac slowing or asystole. Atropine can be used to prevent or abolish bradycardia or asystole induced by the injection of choline esters, anticholinesterase agents or other parasympathomimetic drugs, and cardiac arrest produced by stimulation of the vagus.[L42835] When vagal activity is an etiologic factor, atropine may also lessen the degree of partial heart block. In clinical doses, atropine counteracts the peripheral dilatation and abrupt decrease in blood pressure produced by choline esters. However, when given by itself, atropine does not exert a striking or uniform effect on blood vessels or blood pressure.[L42835] The use of topical atropine in the eye induces mydriasis by inhibiting the contraction of the circular pupillary sphincter muscle normally stimulated by acetylcholine. This results in the contraction of the countering radial pupillary dilator muscle and pupil dilation.[L42830]
The use of atropine may precipitate acute glaucoma and convert partial organic pyloric stenosis into complete obstruction. Atropine may also lead to complete urinary retention in patients with prostatic hypertrophy and cause the thickening of bronchial secretions and formation of viscid plugs in patients with chronic lung disease.[L42835]
How the body processes this drug — absorption, distribution, metabolism, and elimination
[L42835]
After intramuscular administration, atropine is rapidly absorbed. In adults given 1.67 mg of atropine intramuscularly, the Cmax was 9.6 ng/mL and the Tmax went from 3 to 60 minutes.
[L42825]
In healthy subjects given 30 µL of atropine ophthalmic solution, the Cmax and Tmax were 288 pg/mL and 28 minutes, respectively.
[L42830]
Atropine is well absorbed in the gastrointestinal tract and rapidly delivered to systemic circulation. When administered intramuscularly, atropine has a bioavailability of 50%.
[A251665]
The AUC0-INF and Cmax of atropine are higher in females than males (15%).
[L42825]
[A251670][L42835]
In geriatric patients (65-75 years old), intravenous atropine has a longer half-life (10 hours). Also, the half-life of atropine is slightly shorter (approximately 20 minutes) in females than in males.
[L42825]
In healthy volunteers given 30 µL of atropine sulfate by topical ocular administration, the half-life of atropine was approximately 2.5 hours.
[L42830]
[L42815]
[A251670]
[L42815][L42825][L42835]
The major metabolites of atropine are noratropine, atropin-n-oxide, tropine, and tropic acid. The metabolism of atropine is inhibited by organophosphate pesticides.[L42815,L42835]
[L42815][L42825][L42835]
In healthy volunteers given intravenous atropine, 29% of tropine was excreted in urine, along with 15% of an unidentified metabolite.
[A251670]
[A251670]
Exercise, before and after intramuscular administration, decreases the clearance of atropine.
[L42815]
Proteins and enzymes this drug interacts with in the body
Proteins that transport this drug across cell membranes
PMID:15791618 PMID:16332456 PMID:18985798 PMID:19228692 PMID:20010382 PMID:20398791 PMID:22262466 PMID:24711118 PMID:29507376 PMID:32203132
Transports taurine-conjugated bile salts more rapidly than glycine-conjugated bile salts .
PMID:16332456
Also transports non-bile acid compounds, such as pravastatin and fexofenadine in an ATP-dependent manner and may be involved in their biliary excretion PMID:15901796 PMID:18245269
Proteins that carry this drug through the body
Appears to function in modulating the activity of the immune system during the acute-phase reaction
ATC S01FA01
ATC A03CB03
ATC V03AB54
ATC A03BA01
Chemical identifiers
CAS, UNII, InChI Key and database cross-references
Show
Chemical identifiers
CAS, UNII, InChI Key and database cross-references
Linked compound data from DrugBank Open Data (CC BY-NC 4.0)
Atropine
Additional database identifiers
Drugs Product Database (DPD)
8970
Drugs Product Database (DPD)
8972
ChemSpider
10194105
BindingDB
50403547
PDB
OIN
Guide to Pharmacology
320
HUGO Gene Nomenclature Committee (HGNC)
HGNC:1950
GenAtlas
CHRM1
GeneCards
CHRM1
GenBank Gene Database
X52068
GenBank Protein Database
34451
Guide to Pharmacology
13
UniProt Accession
ACM1_HUMAN
HUGO Gene Nomenclature Committee (HGNC)
HGNC:1951
GenAtlas
CHRM2
GeneCards
CHRM2
GenBank Gene Database
M16404
GenBank Protein Database
177990
Guide to Pharmacology
14
UniProt Accession
ACM2_HUMAN
HUGO Gene Nomenclature Committee (HGNC)
HGNC:1952
GenAtlas
CHRM3
GeneCards
CHRM3
GenBank Gene Database
X15266
GenBank Protein Database
32324
Guide to Pharmacology
15
UniProt Accession
ACM3_HUMAN
HUGO Gene Nomenclature Committee (HGNC)
HGNC:1953
GenAtlas
CHRM4
GeneCards
CHRM4
GenBank Gene Database
M16405
GenBank Protein Database
61970253
Guide to Pharmacology
16
UniProt Accession
ACM4_HUMAN
HUGO Gene Nomenclature Committee (HGNC)
HGNC:1954
GenAtlas
CHRM5
GeneCards
CHRM5
GenBank Gene Database
M80333
GenBank Protein Database
177988
Guide to Pharmacology
17
UniProt Accession
ACM5_HUMAN
HUGO Gene Nomenclature Committee (HGNC)
HGNC:4326
GenAtlas
GLRA1
GeneCards
GLRA1
GenBank Gene Database
X52009
GenBank Protein Database
31851
Guide to Pharmacology
423
UniProt Accession
GLRA1_HUMAN
HUGO Gene Nomenclature Committee (HGNC)
HGNC:1958
GenAtlas
CHRNA4
GeneCards
CHRNA4
GenBank Gene Database
L35901
GenBank Protein Database
755648
Guide to Pharmacology
465
UniProt Accession
ACHA4_HUMAN
HUGO Gene Nomenclature Committee (HGNC)
HGNC:1962
GenAtlas
CHRNB2
GeneCards
CHRNB2
GenBank Gene Database
X53179
GenBank Protein Database
32017
UniProt Accession
ACHB2_HUMAN
HUGO Gene Nomenclature Committee (HGNC)
HGNC:8498
GenAtlas
ORM1
GeneCards
ORM1
GenBank Gene Database
X02544
GenBank Protein Database
757907
UniProt Accession
A1AG1_HUMAN
HUGO Gene Nomenclature Committee (HGNC)
HGNC:42
GenAtlas
ABCB11
GeneCards
ABCB11
GenBank Gene Database
AF091582
GenBank Protein Database
3873243
Guide to Pharmacology
778
UniProt Accession
ABCBB_HUMAN
International reference pricing
Reference pricing from DrugBank. Prices are indicative and may not reflect current UK costs.
Source: DrugBank. Used under CC BY-NC 4.0 academic licence for non-commercial purposes.
DrugBank citations
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