Hypromellose 0.5% eye drops preservative free
Requires a prescription from a doctor or prescriber
Hypromellose, or hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC) [L1812], is a semisynthetic, inert, and viscoelastic polymer that forms a colloid solution when dissolved in water.
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Safety monitoring data
Yellow Card reports
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Suspected adverse reactions reported for Hypromellose
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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.
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Suspected adverse reactions reported for Hypromellose
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2 branded products available
Part of the AJL brand family (generic: Hypromellose)
MHRA licensed products
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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.
NHS prescribing volume and spending trends
Clinical guidelines and formulary information
British National Formulary
Hypromellose
Source: British National Formulary, NICE. Joint Formulary Committee. 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
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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
Not available
Mechanism
Promotes corneal wetting by the stabilization and thickening the precorneal tear…
Food interactions
None known
Human targets
1 target
Data: DrugBank · CC BY-NC 4.0
Pharmacokinetics at a glance
Absorption
[L1809]
Pharmacokinetic data: DrugBank · CC BY-NC 4.0
[L1805]
Hypromellose is considered low toxicity to non-toxic .
[L1812]
Adverse events may include blurred vision and contact dermatitis .
[L1805]
Hypersensitivity and intolerance reactions may occur (for example, eye burning, pain, increased lacrimation, a sensation of foreign body, conjunctival hyperemia, eyelid swelling, pruritus). The stickiness sensation of the eyelids, the decreased sense of smell, photosensitivity .
[L1809]
The surface active properties of the vehicles found in artificial tears solutions act to stabilize the tear film and increase tear viscosity to prevent delay tear evaporation and delay tear drainage [L1805].
In the intact eye, the corneal surface is moistened primarily by the mucin that is produced in the conjunctiva. Mucin is adsorbed on the corneal surface and forms a hydrophilic surface. This creates a moisture barrier. In the typical dry eye, and particularly in case of mucin deficiency, the application of artificial tear fluid is highly recommended. Both its surface activity and its adsorptive capacity make hypromellose optimal for this use. Hypromellose has a physical-chemical action and leads to, in an aqueous solution, a reduced surface tension as well as an increased level of viscosity. Hypromellose adheres well to the cornea and conjunctiva and provides ample moisture. Irritation symptoms caused by blinking, which occur in the case of tear fluid deficiency, are therefore decreased and symptoms of epithelial desiccation are also alleviated [L1809].
Hypromellose is considered an inert substance as it has no direct pharmacological activity. The viscosity promoting properties of hypromellose prolong the retention time and improve adhesion of synthetic tears to the cornea and conjunctiva. As a result, the tear film breakdown time is prolonged and/or the tear film stability is enhanced. A stable tear film protects the cornea from dryness and epithelial cells [L1809].
Hypromellose is a methyl and hydroxypropyl mixed ether of cellulose. It is utilized as artificial tears to prevent conjunctival and corneal damage due to impaired lacrimal secretions. It is also used as a visco-elastic promoting agent by maintaining a deep, viscous chamber and allowing for easier manipulation, helping the vitreous surface to be pushed back, thus preventing the formation of a postoperative flat chamber [L1808].
How the body processes this drug — absorption, distribution, metabolism, and elimination
[L1809]
Proteins and enzymes this drug interacts with in the body
ATC S01KA02
Chemical identifiers
CAS, UNII, InChI Key and database cross-references
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Chemical identifiers
CAS, UNII, InChI Key and database cross-references
Linked compound data from DrugBank Open Data (CC BY-NC 4.0)
Hypromellose
DrugBank citations
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