Not as simple as counting the drops
For the last fifteen years, I’ve had to deal with the persona hell of medical eye drops. Our eyes are sensitive to things like temperature, pH, a few others I can’t describe but can feel. And, over the last few years, I’ve learned that the pharmaceutical industry has a little secret.
The dispensing method is about as precise as, well, an eye dropper. And to make things easy for the patient, there are a whole lot of different containers out there, to allow direct use by the client. Some of the drops are expensive. And I am very aware that when I have three or four different types of drops, I have to follow a particular regime. This one, twice a day in one eye. That one, once a day in both eyes. Single drops. Multiple drops. The containers are small (too small to read the labels, so there are a range of lid colours. It all helps.
There’s one catch. The drops run out if you squeeze too hard, and then you run out because the volume of each container is limited. There is no way to pick up a bag of drugs and have them all need refills on the same day.
My pharmacist now allows slight derogation. I can actually request more bottles, if I sense a need (upcoming holiday period, for example). I just have to pay attention.
Today, I learned that there are better ways, and that the industry has known this for years. They have a vested interest in selling product, so the change in dispensing bottles won’t happen soon. But, I am glad that someone is paying attention.
