Lastacaft allergy drop now available over the counter
The FDA approved Lastacaft antihistamine eye drops switching from prescription to over-the-counter treatment, and a North Carolina clinician shared with Healio how she has been recommending it in her practice.
“Lastacaft has been around for 10 years,” Rachael Wruble, OD, FAAO, said. “I used to prescribe it all the time for patients with allergies. It has once-a-day dosing and lasts 16 hours. Think about how patients are more active outside but also on computers a lot.”
The alcaftadine ophthalmic solution 0.25% (Allergan, an AbbVie company) works for not just outdoor allergies, she said, but indoor as well, including dust, mold and pet allergies. She also said the drop is safe in children as young as 2 years.
“When patients call complaining of red, watery, itchy eyes, we have them come in so we can confirm it’s allergy,” Wruble said. “Lastacaft can be used as a first-line treatment.”
To ensure her patients select the proper drop in the retail aisle, Wruble said she tells them to look for the “neon green and yellow box. It’s important we delineate the difference in the drops to patients. I also message them through the office’s texting system and let them know about the [Lastacaft] website.”
She noted that the 60-day supply in the bottle is a “quick, easy, convenient option for patients.”
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