Clinician drop preferences
- Ophthalmologist commentary on X has become a small real-world window into glaucoma prescribing, with one clinician saying he sees 40 to 50 patients a day and has “0 on Netarsudil.” - The split tracks published evidence: latanoprost is a long-used prostaglandin drop, while netarsudil’s label lists frequent eye redness, corneal verticillata, and instillation-site pain. - U.S. glaucoma guidance still centers prostaglandin analogs as common initial therapy, leaving newer Rho kinase drops to compete on tolerability and workflow in busy clinics. (aao.org)
Glaucoma drops lower eye pressure, and in everyday practice many ophthalmologists still start with latanoprost rather than newer netarsudil. (aao.org) (ncbi.nlm.nih.gov) That divide surfaced in clinician commentary on X, where ophthalmologist “dinopontino” wrote that he sees 40 to 50 patients daily and has “0 on Netarsudil.” (x.com) Latanoprost belongs to the prostaglandin analog class, a group widely used to reduce intraocular pressure in open-angle glaucoma and ocular hypertension. Netarsudil, sold as Rhopressa, is a Rho kinase inhibitor, a newer type of pressure-lowering drop. (ncbi.nlm.nih.gov) (accessdata.fda.gov) The American Academy of Ophthalmology’s Preferred Practice Pattern says medical therapy is commonly the initial treatment for primary open-angle glaucoma and lists prostaglandin analogs among the main first-line options. (aao.org) Netarsudil’s U.S. prescribing information lists conjunctival hyperemia, or visible eye redness, among the most common adverse reactions. The label also lists corneal verticillata and instillation-site pain. (accessdata.fda.gov) Published reviews have also described hyperemia as a notable tolerability issue with netarsudil, even as the drug offers another mechanism for lowering pressure. (aaojournal.org31033-8/fulltext)) (accessdata.fda.gov) That helps explain why a short social-media remark can resonate with clinic staff: in a high-volume practice, a drop’s side-effect profile can shape follow-up calls, patient complaints, and whether people stay on treatment. (x.com) (accessdata.fda.gov) The post does not prove how often netarsudil is prescribed across the specialty, and one doctor’s panel is not a market survey. It does show how real-world prescribing can diverge from a drug’s novelty when older drops are familiar, once-daily, and easier for patients to tolerate. (x.com) (aao.org)
