(ketorolac trometamol) 5 mg/mL Eye Drops
Consumer Medicine Information
What is in this leaflet
This leaflet answers some common questions about ACULAR® eye drops, including how to use the eye drops. It does not contain all the available
information. It does not take the place of talking to your doctor or pharmacist.
All medicines have risks and benefits. Your doctor has weighed the risks of you using
ACULAR® eye drops against the benefits they expect it will have for you.
If you have any concerns about using this medicine, ask your doctor or pharmacist.
Keep this leaflet with the medicine.
You may need to read it again.
What ACULAR® eye drops are used for
These eye drops contain the drug ketorolac trometamol and are used to treat itchy
eyes occurring in the condition called seasonal allergic conjunctivitis. They are
also used for the relief of swelling and redness after cataract surgery.
Ketorolac trometamol works by decreasing prostaglandin E2 levels in the eye. Prostaglandins
are normally produced by the body and are thought to be associated with pain, itching
and inflammation.
ACULAR® eye drops are only available with a doctor’s prescription from pharmacies.
Ask your doctor if you have any questions about why ACULAR® eye drops have been prescribed for you.
Before you use ACULAR® eye drops
When you must not use it
Do not use ACULAR® eye drops if:
You have an allergy to ketorolac trometamol or to any of the ingredients listed at
the end of this leaflet
You have ever had an allergic reaction to aspirin or certain types of medicines used
for arthritis or pain relief (non steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs)
The seal around the cap is broken
The bottle/packaging shows signs of tampering
The product does not look quite right
The expiry date on the bottle has passed.
If you use this medicine after the expiry date has passed, it may not work effectively.
Do not put the eye drops into your eye(s) while you are wearing soft contact lenses
as the preservative (benzalkonium chloride) in ACULAR® eye drops may be deposited and cause discoloration to soft contact lenses. Contact
lenses should be removed prior to using ACULAR® eye drops. You can put your soft contact lenses back into your eyes 15 minutes after
you have used ACULAR® eye drops.
Do not allow the tip of the dispensing container to contact the eye to avoid injury
of the eye and contamination of the eye drops.
It is not known if ACULAR® eye drops are safe and useful for children under 12 years.
These drops are for topical use only.
Before you start to use it
Tell your doctor if:
1. You have had an allergy to any medicines or any other substances, such as foods, preservatives
or dyes.
2. You are taking any other prescription or non-prescription medicine, particularly those
which have an effect on bleeding.
3. You have a peptic ulcer or a history of peptic ulcers.
4. You have asthma or a history of asthma.
5. You have defects of the cornea, sugar diabetes, diseases of the eye (e.g. dry eye
syndrome), rheumatoid arthritis, or if you have had recent eye surgery.
6. You are pregnant, or intend to become pregnant. ACULAR® eye drops are not recommended in pregnancy.
7. You are breastfeeding or intend to breastfeed
ACULAR® eye drops are not recommended if you are breastfeeding.
8. You have a condition that causes you to bleed easily.
Taking other medicines
Tell your doctor if you are taking any other medicines, including any that you buy
without a prescription from your pharmacy, supermarket or health food shop.
It is not expected that ACULAR® will interact with other medicines, however you should always ask your optical practitioner,
doctor or pharmacist if you have any concerns about using ACULAR® eye drops as well as other medications.
How to use ACULAR® eye drops
How much to use
Your doctor will tell you how many drops you need to use each day. Use ACULAR® eye drops only as prescribed by your doctor.
The usual dose for itchy eyes (seasonal allergic conjunctivitis) is one drop into
each eye four times daily for 2-4 weeks.
The usual dose for use before and after eye surgery for cataract removal is one or
two drops into each eye four times daily, starting 24 hours before the surgery and
continuing for 2-4 weeks.
Follow all directions given to you by your doctor carefully. The directions may differ
from the information contained in this leaflet.
If you are using more than one eye drop product, wait 5 minutes before using the second
product.
If you are being changed from one eye drop to another, follow your doctor’s instructions
carefully as to when to stop the old drops and when to start the new drops.
How to use it
You may find it easier to put drops in your eye while you are sitting or lying down.
If you are wearing soft contact lenses, remove them before putting the drops in your
eye.
To open a new bottle of ACULAR® eye drops first tear off the protective seal from the bottle. The contents are sterile
if the seal is intact. The seal will break and you can pull it off and then throw
it away.
1. Wash your hands well with soap and water.
3. Hold the bottle upside down in one hand between your thumb and forefinger or index
finger.
4. Using your other hand, gently pull down your lower eyelid to form a pouch or pocket.
5. Tilt your head back and look up.
6. Put the tip of the bottle close to your lower eyelid. Do not let it touch your eye.
7. Release one drop into the pouch or pocket formed between your eye and eyelid by gently
squeezing the bottle.
8. Close your eye. Do not blink or rub your eye.
9. While your eye is closed, place your index finger against the inside corner of your
eye and press against your nose for about two minutes. This will help to stop the
medicine from draining through the tear duct to the nose and throat, from where it
can be absorbed into other parts of your body. Ask your doctor for more specific
instructions on this technique.
10. Replace the lid/cap, sealing it tightly.
11. Wash your hands again with soap and water to remove any residue.
Wait 15 minutes before replacing your contact lenses.
Be careful not to touch the dropper tip against your eye, eyelid or anything else
to avoid contaminating the eye drops.
How long to use it
Continue using ACULAR® eye drops for as long as your doctor prescribes.
The usual length of use is 2-4 weeks.
If you forget to use it
If it is almost time for your next dose, skip the dose you missed and use your next
dose when you are meant to. Otherwise, use the drops as soon as you remember, and
then go back to using them as you would normally.
If you are not sure whether to skip the dose, talk to your doctor or pharmacist.
Do not use double the amount to make up for the dose that you missed.
If you use too much (overdose)
If you accidentally put several drops in your eye(s), immediately rinse your eye(s)
with warm water.
If you think that you or anyone else may have swallowed any or all of the contents
of a bottle of ACULAR® eye drops, drink fluids to dilute and immediately telephone your doctor or Poisons
Information Centre (Australia: telephone 13 11 26; New Zealand: telephone 0800 POISON
or 0800 764 766) for advice, or go to casualty at your nearest hospital. Do this
even if there are no signs of discomfort or poisoning.
While you are using ACULAR® eye drops
Things you must do
If you develop an eye infection, receive an eye injury, or have eye surgery tell your
doctor.
Your doctor may tell you to use a new container of ACULAR® eye drops because of possible contamination of the old one or may advise you to stop
your treatment with ACULAR® eye drops.
If you become pregnant while using ACULAR® eye drops tell your doctor immediately.
If you wear soft contact lenses, remove them before using ACULAR® eye drops. Leave your lenses out for at least 15 minutes after putting in the eye
drops.
Tell your doctor if your condition gets worse or does not get better while using ACULAR® eye drops.
If you are about to start any new medicine tell your doctor and pharmacist that you
are using ACULAR® eye drops.
Things you must not do
Do not give ACULAR® eye drops to anyone else, even if they have the same condition as you.
Do not stop using ACULAR® eye drops without first talking to your doctor.
Things to be careful of
Your vision may blur for a short time after you put in your ACULAR® eye drops. If this happens you should wait until you can see well again before you
drive or use machinery.
ACULAR® eye drops are not expected to cause any problems with your ability to drive a car
or operate machinery. However, as a general precaution be careful driving or operating
machinery until you know how ACULAR® eye drops affect you.
Side effects
Tell your optical practitioner, doctor or pharmacist as soon as possible if you do
not feel well while you are using ACULAR® eye drops.
Check with your doctor as soon as possible if you have any problems while taking ACULAR® eye drops, even if you do not think the problems are connected with the medicine
or are not listed in this leaflet.
All medicines can have side effects. Sometimes they are serious, most of the time
they are not. You may need medical treatment if you get some of the side effects.
Do not be alarmed by this list of possible side effects. You may not experience any
of them. Ask your doctor or pharmacist to answer any questions you may have.
Some side effects of ACULAR® eye drops are:
burning and stinging of the eye on instillation
blurring of vision
infection of the eye or surrounding areas
inflammation of the front layer of the eyeball or the coloured part of the eye
conjunctivitis (scratching, foreign body sensation, itching, redness)
local allergic reactions, such as red eye, stinging of the eye
irritation of the surface of the eye or feeling of having something in the eye
pain in the eye
drooping of the upper eyelid
swollen eyelid
uncomfortable sensitivity to light
eye dryness
a lesion on the front layer of the eyeball
increased pressure in the eye
white spots on the surface of the eye
headaches
visual disturbance
hypersensitivity.
The following side effects were observed in one patient during a controlled clinical
study:
white deposit on the underside of the front part of the eye
bleeding of the retina
swelling of the central area of the retina
burning eye
itchy eye
eye injury.
After using ACULAR® eye drops
Storage
Keep your eye drops in a cool place where the temperature stays below 25°C, and out
of the light.
Keep the medicine where children cannot reach it.
Do not leave the top/lid off the bottle for any length of time to avoid contaminating
the eye drops.
Disposal
If your doctor tells you to stop using the eye drops or they have passed their expiry
date, ask your pharmacist what to do with any remaining solution.
Product description
What ACULAR® eye drops look like:
Clear, colourless to pale yellow, sterile solution, supplied in a white opaque plastic
bottle with a dropper tip.
Ingredients
Active ingredient:
Ketorolac trometamol 5.0mg/mL
Preservative:
Benzalkonium chloride
Inactive ingredients:
sodium chloride,
edetate disodium
octoxinol 40
purified water
sodium hydroxide and/or hydrochloric acid may be added to adjust pH
Manufacturer/Supplier
AbbVie Pty Ltd
241 O’Riordan Street
Mascot NSW 2020
AUSTRALIA
Ph: 1800 043 460
AbbVie Limited
6th Floor, 156-158 Victoria St
Wellington, 6011
NEW ZEALAND
PH: 0800 900 030
ACULAR® eye drops can be identified by registration number: AUST R 63539
Date of preparation:
August 2023
©2023 AbbVie. All rights reserved. ACULAR® and its design are trademarks of Allergan, Inc., an AbbVie company.