Minims Pilocarpine Nitrate 2%w/v Eye Drops, Solution

• Keep this leaflet. You may need to read it again.
• If you have any further questions, ask your doctor or pharmacist.
• This medicine has been prescribed for you only. Do not pass it on to others. It may harm them, even if their signs of illness are the same as yours.
• If you get any side effects, talk to your doctor or pharmacist. This includes any possible side effects not listed in this leaflet. See section 4.

1. What Minims® Pilocarpine Nitrate eye drops are and what they are used for
2. What you need to know before you use Minims® Pilocarpine Nitrate
3. How to use Minims® Pilocarpine Nitrate
4. Possible side effects
5. How to store Minims® Pilocarpine Nitrate
6. Contents of the pack and other information

• you are allergic to pilocarpine nitrate or any of the other ingredients of this medicine (listed in section 6).
• you have had an allergy to other miotic agents in the past
• you have some particular eye conditions where the constriction of the pupil should be avoided (e.g. inflammation of the iris, some forms of glaucoma)
• you wear soft contact lenses.

Talk to your doctor or pharmacist before taking medication for:

• Heart disease (heart failure)
• Bronchial asthma
• Stomach ulcers
• High blood pressure
• Urinary tract obstruction
• Parkinson’s disease
• Any other eye conditions

If the answer to any of these questions is yes, tell your doctor or eye specialist.

Tell your doctor or eye specialist if you are taking, have recently taken or might take any other medicines.

• Creams or pills containing corticosteroids
• Medicines belonging to a family called anticholinergics
• Medicines used to treat allergic reactions (e.g. hayfever, hives) called antihistamines
• A pain killer called pethidine
• Medicines used to treat depression
• Any other medicine used to make the pupil of the eye smaller

If you are pregnant or breast-feeding, think you may be pregnant or are planning to have a baby, ask your doctor or eye specialist for advice before taking this medicine as he/ she may decide to use these drops or to prescribe you an alternative.

Do not use these eye drops if you wear soft contact lenses. Your doctor will ask you to remove your contact lenses prior to the administration of the drops. There is no information on the effect of this product on contact lenses.

Therefore, do not wear your contact lenses until the effects of the drops have completely worn off.

These eye drops may affect your ability to focus and/or see in the dark.

As with all eye drops, your vision may be blurred after putting the drops in. Wait until your vision is clear before driving or using machines

Your doctor or eye specialist will decide the appropriate dosage of Minims® Pilocarpine depending on the reason for which it has been prescribed. He/she will give you more detailed instructions. Make sure you follow these instructions carefully.

Your child’s doctor will start the treatment with Minims® Pilocarpine on the lowest available dose. Depending upon response and tolerance, the doctor may decide to increase the dose to the maximum recommended adult dosage of the 2% pilocarpine eye drop solution.

Make sure you follow these instructions carefully:

1. Wash your hands.
2. Use a mirror, this will help you to see what you are doing.
3. Carefully dry your eyes using a tissue. Twist and pull cap to separate from the Minims body (Diagram 1).
4. Pull your lower eyelid down gently, and then carefully place 1 or 2 drops inside your lower eyelid.
5. Close your eye and blink a few times to make sure your eye is covered by the liquid.
6. Close the eyelids. It is advisable to press gently on the inner corner of your eyelid for 1 minute. This will help stop the solution draining into your nose and throat. This is especially advisable in children, the
elderly and population at risk.
7. Repeat steps 4, 5 and 6 for the other eye if necessary, then throw away the Minims unit, even if some solution remains.

If you use more Minims® Pilocarpine Nitrate than you should, an overdose is very unlikely to occur. If you suddenly feel unwell after receiving the drops, tell your doctor or eye specialist or contact your nearest emergency department immediately.

If you get any side effects, talk to your doctor, pharmacist or nurse. This includes any possible side effects not listed in this leaflet.You can also report side effects directly via:

United Kingdom

Ireland

By reporting side effects you can help provide more information on the safety of this medicine.

• The active ingredient is pilocarpine nitrate. Each Minims unit contains approximately 0.5 ml eye drops solution of pilocarpine nitrate 2% w/v (10 mg).
• The other ingredient is purified water.

This medicine does not contain a preservative as it is a sterile single use unit.

Minims® Pilocarpine Nitrate is a clear colorless solution. Each carton contains 20 units.

Minims® Pilocarpine Nitrate 2% w/v:

PL 03468/0078 (UK) ; PA23259/017/001 (Ireland)